Senator Grace Poe (Senate of the Philippines/MANILA BULLETIN File photo)
“Efforts must be at full speed to give fully-vaccinated PUV drivers and transport workers the opportunity to return to work or ply their routes to help alleviate the hardships of people dependent on public transportation,” Poe, chairperson of the Senate public services committee, said in a statement.
“As more vaccines arrive, we hope that drivers will have faster and wider access in getting the doses as their shield against the worst impact of COVID-19 when they go out,” she added.
The senator has been pushing for the inoculation of PUV drivers and operators against the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). They are included in the A4 priority group of the government, which aims to start the vaccine rollout for the sector within June.
Published June 1, 2021, 4:57 PM
As the Senate starts to deliberate on the proposed amendments to the Philippine Services Act (PSA) on hopes to attract more foreign direct investments, consumers have spotted 2 provisions that would allow utilities firms to set rates without prior public consultations.
In a letter to Senator Grace Poe, chairperson on the Senate committee on public services, Laban Konsyumer inc. (LKI) noted of the two items on Senate Bill 2094, which seeks to amend the 85-year old Commonwealth Act. No. 146, but which the group deemed inimical to the interest of consumers.
Both concerns are found under Section 6 of the bill that will amend Section 16 a and c of Commonwealth Act No. 146.
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Senator Grace Poe (Office of Sen. Grace Poe/MANILA BULLETIN File Photo)
In a statement on Monday, May 24, she said the PhilHealth “must do all to address hospital claims it refuses to pay as well as the so-called ‘return-to-hospital (RTH) claims’ which threaten the viability of these hospitals.”
She cited a Commission on Audit (COA) 2020 report on the Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC), which supposedly stated that the state health insurer denied a total of 1,641 claims from the government-run hospital amounting to P22.98 million as of September 30, 2020, while RTH claims amounted to P11.60 million representing 683 claims.
RTH claims were sent back to hospitals as PhilHealth deems they still “lack certain requirements.”
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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 26) The National Task Force Against COVID-19 said it is set to release guidelines for vaccinating economic frontliners as the country gears up to vaccinate more Filipinos to achieve herd immunity by year-end.
NTF Deputy Chief Implementer Vince Dizon also said during a briefing that once this is issued, immunization of essential workers, specifically those in the NCR and 8 other areas as approved by President Rodrigo Duterte, can start by June.
Earlier, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said they target to start inoculating members of the A4 and A5 (indigent sector) groups after May, the time when vaccine supply is expected to stabilize. However, Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje said the simultaneous vaccination of said clusters will initially focus on areas with number of COVID-19 cases, namely Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, Pampanga, Batangas, Metro Cebu, and Metro Davao, or the NCR+8.