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President Rodrigo Roa Duterte signs the P4.506 trillion General Appropriations Act (GAA) of 2021 on Monday, December 28 (Photo courtesy of House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco Office/ via Daniel Manalastas)
CALOOCAN CITY, Dec. 29 (PIA) President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on Monday signed into law the Philippines P4.506 trillion General Appropriations Act (GAA) of 2021 or the national budget for next year.
The national budget themed “Reset, Rebound, and Recover: Investing for Resiliency and Sustainability” will aid the country to start anew through responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, to “rebound by boosting infrastructure development and by generating job opportunities, and rebuild by assisting communities adapt to the post-pandemic life.”
Higher contributions welcome PhilHealth members in 2021
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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 30) - Members of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation or PhilHealth should expect to pay higher contributions in 2021 as the state health insurer will implement a scheduled rate adjustment.
In a statement on Tuesday, PhilHealth explained the increase is to ensure sufficient funding for the health care of its 110 million members as mandated by Republic Act No. 11223 or the Universal Health Care Law.
The premium rate will be increased to 3.50% from the current 3.00%. The premium adjustment is provided for in Section 10 of the UHC Law and its implementing rules and regulations, the guidelines of which are contained in Circular 2020-005 published by PhilHealth on March 5, 2020, said PhilHealth.
(photo from Sen. Bong Go)
In a ceremony held in Malacañang, the President said he was “happy and proud” to sign the national budget and promised its efficient use to mitigate the adverse impact of pandemic on public health and the economy.
Republic Act No. 11518, or the General Appropriations Act of 2021, aims to bankroll the government’s operations, including enhancing efforts to respond to the pandemic and stimulate economic revival next year.
“I stand before you today happy and proud to sign the 2021 General Appropriations Act. This important piece of legislation attests to the importance of an active and fruitful collaboration between the Executive and the Legislative branches of government, especially at this time when the health and welfare of our people are at stake,” Duterte said in his remarks.
(JANSEN ROMERO / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
In an interview with Coffee Break over radio station DZRH, Roque said that it felt like destiny that the UHC was passed and signed into law before the coronavirus pandemic happened this year.
“At least, we have the UHC. We have free PCR tests and we strengthened the capacity of the health sector before the pandemic happened,” he said in Filipino.
The PCR test is considered the gold standard in the detection of SARS-CoV-2.
The spokesperson explained that one of the goals of the UHC is to provide free diagnostic tests to millions of Filipinos, adding that it is better to diagnose their medical problems earlier.