PhilHealth partners with information officers in Caraga to strengthen Konsulta program
By Nora L. Molde
BUTUAN CITY (PIA) — As part of its efforts to intensify public awareness on accessible healthcare services, the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) Caraga highlighted the importance of its Konsultasyong Sulit at Tama (Konsulta) Program during the 2025 Regional Information Officers Conference on July 2, held here.
Jayness C. Canton, social insurance officer III of PhilHealth Caraga, presented the agency’s core programs and services to more than 50 information officers, placing emphasis on the Universal Health Care (UHC) Law that ensures that all Filipinos are automatically eligible for essential health services, ranging from preventive and promotive care to curative, rehabilitative, and palliative treatment.
Canton underscored PhilHealth Konsulta as a key component of UHC, describing it as a transitory benefit package toward a more comprehensive outpatient care system. “Health is often taken for granted until illness strikes. That’s why awareness and access to primary care services like PhilHealth Konsulta are vital,” he said.
To support this advocacy, the PhilHealth Public Affairs Unit, led by Kenneth M. Po, assisted the regional information officers in the on-site registration for the Konsulta Program during the conference. The team also issued Member Data Records (MDRs) and PhilHealth identification cards to further expand their access to PhilHealth benefits.
Po explained that registered members and their qualified dependents can avail of a wide array of services from Konsulta-accredited providers, including laboratory tests such as complete blood count with platelet, urinalysis, fecalysis, sputum microscopy, fecal occult blood test, pap smear, lipid profile; fasting blood sugar (FBS), oral glucose tolerance test; electrocardiography, chest X-ray, and hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c).
He shared that by 2027, additional mandatory diagnostics such as ultrasound (upper abdomen, pelvic, and breast) and mammogram will also be included in the package.
The collaboration with government information officers aims to build a stronger network of advocates who will help disseminate accurate and timely information about PhilHealth Konsulta to communities across Caraga, Po said.
“This partnership with the information officers in Caraga strengthens our goal of reaching out to every Filipino and orienting them on right health information and the advantages of the services so they will not only understand, but will also use and avail PhilHealth Konsulta,” Po added.
Aurelius P. Arais, public relations officer II of the Department of Agriculture Caraga expressed gratitude to PhilHealth Caraga for sharing to them the benefits of being registered in the Konsulta program. “I appreciate the information that I learned today because it makes me more aware of the services of Konsulta and even the programs offered by other government agencies, aside from the agency that I work with. It empowers me to disseminate them as well to my comrades for awareness,” Arais said.
This on-site registration reflects PhilHealth’s commitment to making healthcare more accessible, especially to those serving at the forefront of public information. (NCLM, PIA Caraga)
