STOP THE MANDATORY COLLECTION OF PHILHEALTH PREMIUM INCREASE!
Joint Position Statement of Filipino Migrant Groups on PhilHealth Circular No. 2020-0014
On 22 April 2020, PhilHealth Circular No. 2020-0014 entitled “Premium Contribution and Collection of Payment of Overseas Filipino Member” was officially made public. This is in fulfillment of President Duterte’s Universal Healthcare Law which was signed on 20 February 2019 which sets mandatory coverage to all Filipinos under the country’s National Health Insurance Program.
Since last year, we and many other Filipino migrant groups have already expressed opposition to the proposed collection, At this time, an online petition initiated by OFWs opposing Philhealth’s mandatory collection has already garnered almost 300,000 signatures. This, together with visible reactions in social media platforms clearly show the rejection of OFWs to this scheme by the Duterte administration’s Philhealth. The petition (https://bit.ly/2yn9BMr) is poised to muster more support in the coming days.
- The mandatory 3% is only the first phase of a tiered payment computation which is set to increase year by year reaching 5% in 2024. This is in addition to all the other draining state exactions imposed by the Philippine government.
- Overseas Filipinos are treated as “direct contributors” that have to pay BOTH the employer and employee’s share. Citing Hong Kong as an example where OFWs have a minimum salary of HK$ 4,630 (Php 30,095), the total contribution for 2020 would amount to HK$ 1,667 which is equivalent to Php 10,835.50 (Php30,095 x 0.03 x 12 months). By 2024 and onwards, upon implementation of the 5% increase on the monthly contribution, this would spike up to HK$2,778 or Php 18,057 yearly.
- Members who fail to make payment after the due date will be penalized and required to pay all missed contributions with monthly compounded interest.
- This increase overburdens OFWs who are already troubled by retrenchments and loss of income due to the COVID-19 pandemic and recession. An overwhelming number of OFWs are not even covered by President Duterte’s DOLE-AKAP cash aid program and repatriated OFWs have been crying out on the government for steady and efficient amelioration.
- OFWs are already covered by existing insurance and healthcare programs in their host countries which renders Duterte’s mandatory Philhealth coverage as useless for Filipino migrants abroad. Why charge them yet again?
- Since regular contribution to Philhealth is part of OEC requirements, no OEC will be issued to OFWs who are unable to complete their Philhealth payments. Duterte broke his campaign promise of removing the OEC requirement.
- Members who fail to make payment after the due date will be required to pay all missed contributions with monthly compounded interest. This is extremely painful for OFWs who are unable to finish their contracts because of abuse and maltreatment
- OFWs will have to shoulder both employee and employer contributions. This means that they will be charged twice.
- Corruption in Philhealth: President Duterte himself has claimed last year that a whopping Php 154 Billion has been lost to Philhealth’s ghost patients and deliveries funneled mainly to profit-oriented private healthcare facilities. Why are OFWs and Filipino migrants being forced to shoulder government losses caused by corruption?
- Subsidizing private profit: While underfunded public healthcare and medical facilities are fast deteriorating, mandatory Philhealth collections are bound to benefit profit-oriented private healthcare facilities as public hospitals are engulfed by the government’s privatization program.
Our Demands:
- Stop the mandatory Philhealth premium exaction.
- Enforce a moratorium on all state exactions at this period of the COVID-19 pandemic and recession.
- Remove punitive penalties.
- Junk OEC.
- Establish a genuine universal health care program through free medical and health services.
- Enhance and strengthen the public health care system in the Philippines.
Instead of building more pro-people infrastructures for public health services and establishing a genuine universal health care program where medical and health services are free, President Duterte is clinging on to neoliberal economic policies that extort money from the public to fill the coffers of big private entities. This in itself is legalized theft that preys on our already overburdened Filipino migrants.
Our opposition to this unjust state exaction will not stop with the petition. Migrante International encourages everyone to join our kalampagan and other forms of online protests and creative actions to oppose the Duterte government’s mandatory Philhealth exaction.
We, Filipino migrants, affix our organizations name herewith to signify our support to the content and demands written on this position paper and to express our strong and collective opposition to the mandatory collection of Philhealth contributions.
Signed:
- Migrante International (Global Alliance of Filipino Migrant Orgs in 24 countries)
- Migrante Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Gabriela Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- FAPS INTERNATIONAL – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Samahang Migrante Manggagawa Nagkakaisa sa Riyadh (SAMAKABA-MIGRANTE) – KSA
- JEDDAH FILIPINO SOCIETY – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Migrante Qatar
- Gabriela United Arab Emirates
- Migrante Seattle, USA
- Migrante Portland, USA
- Migrante Napa-Solano, USA
- Migrante Daly City, USA
- PAWIS East Bay, USA
- PAWIS San Jose, USA
- Migrante Los Angeles, USA
- Migrante Long Beach, USA
- Migrante Orange County, USA
- Migrante New York, USA
- Migrante New Jersey, USA
- Migrante Youth New York, USA
- Migrante Chicago, USA
- Migrante Washington D.C., USA
- Anakbayan Washington DC
- Migrante Manitoba, Canada
- Migrante BC, Canada,
- Migrante Alberta, Canada
- Migrante Ontario, Canada
- Migrante Ottawa, Canada
- Alberta Care Workers Association, Canada
- Kabisig Society of Fort Saskatchewan
- Philippine Migrant Society of Canada (PMSC)
- PINAY, Canada
- Association of Filipino Parents, Quebec, Canada
- Filipino Indigenous Association of Quebec, Canada
- Aklanon Association
- Migrante Canada
- Anakbayan Europe
- Campaign for the Human Rights in the Philippines, United Kingdom
- Europe Network for Justice and Peace in the Philippines
- Federation of Domestic Workers Association (FDWA), UK
- Filipino Ecumenical Migrants Ministry – IFI,
- FOA-Au Pair, Denmark
- Gabriela Germany
- Gabriela London
- Gabriela Roma
- Gabriela Switzerland
- Kabalikat Netherlands
- Kanlungan Filipino Consortium, UK
- Makabayang Samahang Pilipino (MkSP), Netherlands
- Migrante Austria
- Migrante Bologna, Italy
- Migrante Como, Italy
- Hyper Megara Fitness Club, Italy
- Marias Zumba, Italy
- Zumba Energetic Moms, Italy
- Laguna and Friends Association (LAFA), Italy
- Villasinians of Italy
- Kaisahan ng Manggagawang Pilipino sa Italya- KAMPI Rome
- Samahan ng Magdalo Roma
- KasamaKo Greece
- Migrante Denmark
- Migrante Europe
- Migrante Firenze, Italy
- Migrante Iceland
- Migrante Ireland
- Migrante Mantova
- Migrante Milano
- Migrante Netherlands Amsterdam
- Migrante Netherlands Den Haag
- Migrante Utrecht
- Migrante UK
- Migrante Zurich
- Milan OFW Kapitbisig
- Nagkakaisang Pilipino sa Pransya
- Pinay sa Holland – Gabriela
- Promotion of Church People’s Response Europe
- Samahan ng mga Kabataan sa Netherlands (SAMAKA-NL)
- Sentro Pilipino Chaplaincy (SPC)
- Ugnayang Pilipino sa Belgium (UPB)
- Umangat Migrante
- Babaylan Germany
- MIGRANTE Aotearoa New Zealand
- MIGRANTE Aotearoa – Palmerston North
- MIGRANTE Aotearoa – Christchurch
- PINAY Aotearoa – New Zealand
- Migrante Builders Aotearoa
- Union Network of Migrants (UNEMIG), NEW ZEALAND
- MIGRANTE Australia
- Lingap Migrante – Western Sydney Australia
- Migrante North Hornsby, Sydney Australia
- Migrante South West – Sydney
- Philippines Australia Women’s Association
- Migrante Kultura
- Migrante Melbourne
- Migrante Melbourne East
- Migrante Melbourne North – Samahang Tatak Pinoy
- Migrante Melbourne Northeast
- Migrante Melbourne West
- Migrante Perth, Australia
- Advance League of People’s Artists (ALPA), Australia
- AnakBayan Sydney
- AnakBayan Melbourne
- BAYAN Australia
- Gabriela Australia
- Gabriela Greater Sydney
- Gabriela Victoria
- Gabriela Perth
- Philippines Studies Network in Australia (PINAS)
- Promotion for Church People’s Response (PCPR) Australia
- United Filipinos in Hong Kong (UNIFIL-MIGRANTE-HK)
- Abra Migrant Workers Welfare Association
- Association of Concerned Filipinos
- Cuyapo OFW Association Hong Kong
- Filipino Friends
- Filipino Lesbian Organization
- Filipino Migrant Domestic Workers Union
- Filipino Migrants Association
- Filipino Women Migrant Association
- Friends of Bethune House
- Likha Filipino Migrants Cultural Organization
- Luzviminda Migrante
- Migrante Naguilian
- Migrante Pier
- Migrante Shatin
- Migrante Tamar
- Migrante Tsing Ti
- Migrante Tsuen Wan
- Migrante Yuen Long
- Migranteng Artista ng Bayan
- Organic Cultural and Environmental Organization
- Philippine Independent Church Choir
- Pinatud A Saleng Ti Umili (PSU)
- Pangasinan Organization for Welfare, Empowerment and Rights
- Samahang Migrante
- Sta Maria Migrants Association
- Women of Philippine Independent Church – WOPIC Antique
- Filipino Migrant Workers’ Union (FMWU)
- FMWU City Hall Chapter
- FMWU Chater Garden Chapter
- FMWU Chater Road Chapter
- Abra Tinguian Ilocano Society
- Annak ti Maeng Tubo-HK
- Baggak Cultural Group
- Bangued Migrants Workers Association
- Bucay Migrants Workers
- Bucloc Overseas Workers Association
- Ganagan San Juan Association
- Lacub Migrants
- Lagangilang Overseas Association
- Langiden Migrants Organization
- Lapaz Migrants Association
- Licuan-Baay HK Association
- Maeng Tribe of Abra Luba-HK
- Malibcong Migrants Association
- Timpuyog Ti Tayum
- BAYAN Hong Kong & Macau
- Cordillera Alliance Hong Kong (CORALL)
- GABRIELA Hong Kong
- Gabriela Hong Kong Bank
- Filguys Association
- Filipino Lesbians Organization (FILO)
- Promotion of Church Peoples’ Response (PCPR) – Hong Kong
- Danza Filipina
- DOMO Hong Kong
- Women Dance Club the Original HK
- The Silent Majority Hong Kong
- FilReflex – Filipino Reflexologists Hong Kong
- HK CIASI 61892
- Federation of Luzon Alliance Group (FLAG) of Hong Kong
- National Organization of Professional Teachers (NOPT) Hong Kong
- Global Alliance Hong Kong
- Magdalo Hong Kong
- United Philippine Taekwondo Organization (UPTO)
- Ellen Dancers
- Social Justice for Migrant Workers
- UMELA Hong Kong
- ROAD Hong Kong
- Share Hong Kong
- KAFIN Saitama – Migrante
- MIGRANTE Japan
- MIGRANTE Macau
- KASAMMAKO – Katipunan ng mga Samahan ng Migranteng Manggawa sa Korea
- New Era Foundation
- Pag-Iribang Bicolnon in Korea
- TERESA Women’s Organization
- EPS Korea
- Osan Migrants Centre
- MIGRANTE Taiwan
- ACTION – Association of Concerned Filipinos in Thailand
- Migrante Youth
- Migrante Philippines