Iloilo City Job Hires to Get PhilHealth Coverage

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

Over 4,000 job order and contractual workers hired by the Iloilo City government will begin paying mandatory PhilHealth contributions following a salary increase taking effect in August 2025.

The city government signed a memorandum of agreement with PhilHealth on June 16 to provide social health insurance protection through the state insurer’s Group Enrollment Program.

The agreement aims to register job order (JO) and contract of service (COS) workers under the National Health Insurance Program via PhilHealth’s group enrollment scheme for the informal sector.

Monthly contributions, equal to 5% of each worker’s salary, will be automatically deducted from their pay.

Starting August, their daily wage will increase by PHP130—from PHP450 to PHP580.

The city government said PHP30 of the increase will go toward PhilHealth contributions.

It will oversee registration, ensure daily deductions, and remit contributions directly to PhilHealth.

“This is a big help to them since this will give them protection and benefits from PhilHealth,” said Mayor Jerry Treñas.

“I always believe these individuals should be covered.”

He said the program will greatly benefit frontline job workers such as traffic aides and healthcare staff.

Treñas added that his daughter, incoming Mayor Raisa Treñas-Chu, wants the PhilHealth coverage to take effect by July 1.

She will formally assume office on June 30.

PhilHealth-6 Acting Regional Vice President Lazaro Tabsing welcomed the initiative, citing major improvements in benefits under the Universal Health Care Act.

“Before, PhilHealth was mainly for confinement and hospitalization,” he said.

“Now, with UHC, we’ve added preventive services like free consultations, lab tests, diagnostics, and outpatient drug coverage under the Konsulta program.”

Tabsing also highlighted the availability of Z-benefits for catastrophic illnesses and basic diagnostics such as CBC and urinalysis.

He emphasized that PhilHealth coverage for JO and COS workers extends to qualified dependents, including legal spouses and children under 20 who are unmarried and unemployed.