Online plea vs. PhilHealth premium hike for migrant workers gains support from authorities, groups

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 3) — Several authorities and groups have joined the online call for the withdrawal of the memorandum of state-owned Philippine Health Insurance Corporation on the increase in the premium contribution of overseas Filipino workers.

Under PhilHealth Circular No. 2020-0014, OFWs with income amounting between ₱10,000 and ₱20,000 will be required to pay 3 percent of their annual salaries, effective this year. This is a raise from 2.75 percent in 2019.

An initial payment of ₱2,400 is also needed, according to PhilHealth.

The memorandum took effect on April 22, after it was first published in a major newspaper. It was met with an online protest from a league of Filipino workers abroad.

On Sunday, Migrante International, the global alliance of Filipino migrant organizations in 24 countries, aired out the overseas workers' sentiments in a joint statement.

It slammed the national government for how it is treating the OFWs, pointing out that many of them are not benefiting from the administration's financial aid program.

"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 to the government for steady and efficient amelioration," it said.

The organization also asked the administration to stop the mandatory PhilHealth premium payment; enforce a moratorium on all other state exactions; remove the punitive penalties; and junk the overseas employment certificate (OEC).

A "genuine" universal healthcare program and an improved public health system should also be established, it added.

"Our opposition to this unjust state exaction will not stop with the petition. Migrante International encourages everyone to join our online protests and creative actions to oppose the Duterte government's mandatory PhilHealth exaction," the union said.

Some officials and groups have also expressed opposition to the measure.

In a statement Sunday, House Deputy Speaker and Basilan Representative Mujiv Hataman urged President Rodrigo Duterte to order the withdrawal of the circular, and "provide 'modern heroes' relief from the global health crisis."

"Nananawagan ako sa ating Pangulo na pigilin ang implementasyon ng pagtaas [ng] singil ng PhilHealth sa mga OFWs. At a time when even verbal orders from him are heeded, a mere pronouncement from him can temporarily stop the collection of fees. I think we are all in agreement that now is not the right time to impose that particular provision of the UHC (Universal Healthcare) Law. Ceasefire muna sa bagong singil," Hataman said.

[Translation: I am calling on our President to stop the implementation of such a hike in the payment of OFWs. At a time when even verbal orders from him are heeded, a mere pronouncement from him can temporarily stop the collection of fees. I think we are all in agreement that now is not the right time to impose that particular provision of the UHC Law. Let's call for a ceasefire on that.]

Hataman noted that the government should grant the overseas workers with a moratorium on fees, and that it should treat them "with the same compassion" as the local employees.

"Dapat nga, moratorium sa pagbabayad ang ginagawa ng gobyerno dahil sa krisis na dulot ng COVID-19 sa lahat ng tao saan mang bahagi ng mundo. Dapat ay tinutulungan natin ang mga OFWs at hindi pinahihirapan," he said.

[Translation: The government should provide a moratorium on payments, as everyone is affected by this COVID-19 crisis. We should help our OFWs, and not make things harder for them.]

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro "Teddy" Locsin also went against the directive, saying it was not beneficial for the OFWs in any way.

"It is like an income tax which was abolished for OFWs; and [now], even their tax-free income filings were destroyed. They are just totally out of the purview of government exactions for which they will not benefit at all," he said in a tweet.

Meanwhile, Gabriela Women's Party hit the state-insurer and the administration for their "lack of respect for workers, like OFWs," and for regarding them as "mere milking cows for government funds."

"With this imposition, the PhilHealth and the Duterte government are once again showing us that they only have 'hearts of stone' (pusong bato) for [our] OFWs. They are insensitive towards the situation, [and the] needs and problems of [the] OFWs; and have no sense of compassion for us at all," it said in a press statement.

The online petition seeking to recall the order already has over 311,000 signatures as of this writing.