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PCSO urged to support Malasakit Centers Act full implementation

January 24, 2025 People's Tonight 63 views

SENATOR Christopher “Bong” Go, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health, presided over a committee hearing to examine the role of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) in fulfilling its mandate under the Malasakit Centers Act.

The hearing addressed critical gaps in medical assistance delivery, accessibility challenges, and proposed solutions to improve services for indigent patients. During the discussion, Senator Go raised concerns about the reported limited presence of PCSO representatives in Malasakit Centers nationwide.

“I got a report that the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has 162 representatives out of 166 Malasakit Centers, and then PCSO only has 40 representatives. Ano ba’ng hakbang na ginagawa n’yo para ma-solusyonan po ito? At paano kayo makakapagbigay ng assistance sa mga Malasakit Centers?”

He pointed out that PCSO, with its substantial revenue, has the financial capacity to address these gaps. “Sobra-sobra po ‘yung pondo n’yo. Halos linggo-linggo kayo nagpapapanalo ng lotto. So, ibig sabihin, sobra talaga ‘yung pondo n’yo. Bigyan n’yo naman ‘yung mga pasyente, sa mga mahihirap nating kababayan. ‘Yon naman po ang mandato n’yo, at meron kayong mga programa na financial assistance, medical assistance na itutulong dapat sa mga kababayan natin.”

Go stressed the importance of PCSO fully adhering to its obligations under Republic Act No. 11463 or the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019, noting that the law was enacted to simplify the process for patients needing medical assistance without the need to seek help from other offices to lessen the burden on patients.

The senator recounted the inspiration behind the establishment of Malasakit Centers, drawing from the struggles he witnessed patients enduring two decades ago.

He described a typical scenario where, by Monday, a patient would already be burdened with a hospital bill amounting to P87,000. Desperate for help, the patient would line up at the City Hall to secure P20,000 in assistance. By Tuesday, they would proceed to the PCSO, where the process was equally grueling. The PCSO office, he noted, was a two-story building often surrounded by long queues of people. As early as 5 a.m., patients would already be lined up on the sidewalk, waiting for assistance.

The next days, patients would need to line up in other offices or approach other sources of help like politicians. This arduous journey required not just time but also additional expenses for transportation, further compounding their financial struggles.

“D’yan ko po naisipan itong Malasakit Center, na ilagay na lang sa isang kwarto, para hindi na sila lumabas ng hospital. Para ilapit natin ‘yung serbisyo medikal sa ating mga kababayan. Dahil pera po ng taong bayan ‘yan, pera ng Pilipino ‘yan, ibalik natin sa mabilis na paraan.”

PCSO Assistant General Manager Arnel Casas assured Senator Go of the agency’s commitment to assist all cases submitted through Malasakit Centers. “On our part, Mr. Chair, lahat po na ipinapasok sa amin sa Malasakit Center, wala po kaming tinatanggihan na mga cases.”

However, he acknowledged that funding constraints posed challenges, as 40% of the PCSO’s charity fund is allocated to Universal Healthcare. To address these limitations, Casas explained that the agency had established a dedicated online email address for submitting requests for medical assistance from PCSO.

Additionally, he outlined their ongoing efforts to create plantilla positions, noting that top management had already issued directives to proceed with the process. Discussions with department managers were also underway to review and evaluate these positions to improve operations and address staffing gaps.

Senator Go emphasized the urgency of these efforts, suggesting the potential to hire more personnel. “I’m sure marami pong mga kababayan natin na walang trabaho na willing magtrabaho sa PCSO. Maganda pong trabaho ‘yan ‘pag nasa PCSO ka. I’m sure they will be very proud na maging plantilla ng PCSO at makatulong sa mga kababayan natin.”

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