Nearly 300 employees from the different campuses of West Visayas State University (WVSU) and the WVSU Medical Center participated in an online orientation on the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation’s (PhilHealth) Yaman ng Kalusugan Program (YAKAP) on June 15 via Zoom.
The activity, spearheaded by the Office of the Vice President for Medical and Allied Sciences under Vice President Dr. Victorino F. Salcedo III, formed part of WVSU’s efforts to promote accessible healthcare services and maximize the health benefits available to university personnel in line with the celebration of its 124th Founding Anniversary.
In his opening remarks, Salcedo underscored the importance of empowering employees with knowledge about government health programs and announced the university’s initiative to conduct an onsite PhilHealth YAKAP registration drive on June 16 and 17.
YAKAP, or Yaman ng Kalusugan Program, is PhilHealth’s primary care program designed to help Filipinos maintain good health through regular consultations, early disease detection, laboratory services, medicines and preventive care. Through accredited YAKAP clinics, members and their dependents can access primary healthcare services aimed at preventing illnesses from progressing into more serious conditions.
During the orientation, Dr. Mary Ellen Grace Bolido, medical specialist III of the Accreditation and Quality Assurance Section of PhilHealth Regional Office VI, provided a comprehensive discussion on the program’s features, enrollment process and benefits available to members.
A significant portion of the discussion focused on the PhilHealth GAMOT benefit, or Guaranteed and Accessible Medications for Outpatient Treatment, which provides eligible beneficiaries with access to up to ₱20,000 worth of medicines annually. The package currently covers 75 medicines commonly prescribed for conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, asthma, infections, heart diseases and other chronic illnesses. Members enrolled in a YAKAP clinic may avail themselves of these medicines through accredited GAMOT providers upon proper consultation and prescription.
The orientation concluded with a productive open forum where employees, faculty members and physicians from the WVSU Medical Center actively raised questions regarding enrollment procedures, eligibility requirements, implementation processes and the practical application of YAKAP and GAMOT benefits.
The exchange provided participants with greater clarity on the program’s provisions and addressed various concerns related to enrollment, availment and healthcare access. The onsite enrollment activity will be held at the Administration Building Lobby on June 16 and 17 during office hours, beginning after the university’s opening ceremonies for its founding anniversary celebration. The registration drive aims to provide university personnel with convenient access to enrollment and the program’s healthcare benefits.
Through initiatives such as the YAKAP orientation and onsite enrollment drive, WVSU continues to strengthen its commitment to employee welfare by promoting health awareness, preventive care and access to essential healthcare services.
