Councilor Mary Joselle Villafuerte, chairperson of the City Council Committee on Health, expressed her support to the passage of the Universal Health Care (UHC) law which expands health coverage to millions of poor Filipinos.
In a special ceremony, Wednesday, President Rodrigo Duterte signed the law which will allow every Filipino access to the government’s free health insurance, especially for those who cannot get medical attention due to financial problems.
In a message, Villafuerte said, “We are very happy that the Universal Healthcare Bill has finally been signed into Law.”
“All families now will be guaranteed accessibility to healthcare through this landmark legislation,” she said.
Villafuerte stated that her committee has once been part of the deliberations of the UHC.
“As the Chairperson of the Committee on Health, we were part of the deliberations on UHC held here in Sangguniang Panglungsod session hall,” Villafuerte said.
“Senator JV Ejercito met with us to get our input on the said law,” she said.
Meanwhile, Villafuerte is also positive that the UHC program will roll even with the P257 billion amount needed for the first year of its implementation.
“The senator assured us regarding source of funds such as the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor), Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), Train Law and the sin taxes” she said.
However, additional sin taxes for tobacco and alcohol products are still to be passed as a law.
Villafuerte thanked the legislators “for listening to its citizens” and for President Rodrigo Duterte for “prioritizing the health needs.”
