Hontiveros to Conduct Inquiry on Violations of Hospital Deposit Law

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros vowed to conduct a senate inquiry on the reported violations of several hospitals of Republic Act 8344 or the Anti-Hospital Deposit Law, which prohibits any hospital and medical facility to demand any deposit or any other form of advance payment, as a prerequisite for admission or medical treatment of a patient to prevent death or serious harm.

Hontiveros, who is the newly-elected chairperson of the Senate' Committee on Health expressed alarm regarding cases of some hospitals’ refusal to follow the law. She said her committee will investigate the said cases and other reports of hospital negligence "to end the cruel practice of giving premium to profits over and above the public's health."

"Kahit saan natin tignan, mas mahalaga ang buhay ng tao kaysa anumang deposito. Ang deposito ay mababayaran. Ang buhay na nawala ay hindi maibabalik o matatawaran," Hontiveros said.

Early this year, University of Santo Tomas (UST) Hospital came under fire when Andrew Pelayo took to social media to air his grievance regarding his wife’s miscarriage due to the hospital’s refusal to provide treatment before any deposit was made. In 2014, Hontiveros slammed the Butuan Doctors Hospital over the death of a 10-year old girl who was refused hospital care because her family failed to produce the P30,000 deposit demanded by the medical establishment.

Recently, another case of neglect is being investigated by the Department of Health (DoH) at the Casimiro Ynares Sr. Memorial Hospital. While no deposit was asked in exchange for medical assistance, a two-year old child lost her life when the hospital made her wait in line for hours.

To address this growing concern, Hontiveros filed Senate Bill No. 216 [SB216] which seeks to impose heavier fines for hospitals that violate the law and possible nullification of erring hospitals’ license to operate. The bill also provides tax deduction for hospitals that admit indigent or poor patients in cases of emergency.

The said senate bill also hopes to create a Health Facilities Oversight Board, chaired by a Department of Health representative. “The Board will provide a clear channel for redress of grievances by patients and ensuring their rights and welfare”, Hontiveros said.

“Hospitals should know that their primary duty is to save lives. The government must make an example of medical establishments who believe profits are more important than the lives of the people." Hontiveros ended.

Should Marcos Be Buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani?

Wazzup Pilipinas!

President Rodrigo Duterte announced that he has authorized burial of the former President, Ferdinand Marcos - the dictator, at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

"Burying a murderer and a thief in the Libingan ng mga Bayani is not moving on....it is teaching our children to honor murderers and plunderers....It is not going to heal the nation nor will it unite us...it will only deeply divide us, reopen deep wounds of those who suffered, causing them to relive the gnawing pain and memory of loved ones jailed, tortured, murdered, salvaged or who disappeared because of the tyranny and oppression of the dictatorship.
How can one forgive when there is neither remorse nor atonement on the part of the Marcos family?" - Kiko Pangilinan

Those who have been dishonorably discharged from service, or personnel convicted of an offense involving moral turpitude, do not qualify for interment at the cemetery.

Utterly bereft of valid arguments to rebut it, you evade the issue and involve matters totally irrelevant to the Marcos burial. In fact, if we want to be consistent if Napoles and the others are corrupt, Marcos who has been acknowledged as one of the most corrupt leaders of the world, should be treated like them and not rewarded with a hero's burial which he is most undeserving of. We cannot move on without justice. We cannot move on without making Napoles and the others answerable for their crimes. The same is true with dictator Marcos.

"Move on na tayo. Mag move on na din tayo at patawarin ang mga adik at pushers kasama ng mga kriminal. Mukhang nakapag move on naman na tayo kila GMA, Tanda, Pogi at Sexy pati na kay Napoles. Pakawalan at patawarin na din si Vhon Tanto. Stop extrajudicial killings at mag move on na tayo. Sunugin nyo na yan druglords and protectors druglist ninyo at patawarin na sila. Ayos!" - Sarcasm

Were moving on with the marcoses anyway. Let this move on thing be universal and not exclusive to a freakin' wax.

Duterte does not have the legal authority to have Dictator Marcos buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. It is contrary to Law. It is not the President who is empowered to decide on this but the Board on National Pantheon composed of the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Public Works and Communications and the Secretary of Education and two private citizens to be appointed by the President of the Philippines with the consent of the Commission on Appointments (R.A. No. 289). 

The purpose of the National Pantheon is to perpetuate the memory of all the Presidents of the Philippines, national heroes and patriots for the inspiration and emulation of this generation and of generations still unborn. 

Dictator Marcos, who is responsible for the torture, murder, disappearance and illegal detention of thousands of Filipinos who stood for freedom and democracy as well as the shameless plunder of the people's money does not qualify for emulation, most specially when the "Human Rights Victims Reparation and Recognition Act of 2013"(R.A. NO. 10368) declares that it is the policy of the State to "recognize the heroism and sacrifices of all Filipinos who were victims of summary execution, torture, enforced or involuntary disappearance and other gross human rights violations committed during the regime of former President Ferdinand E. Marcos covering the period from September 21, 1972 to February 25, 1986 and restore the victims’ honor and dignity." 

One cannot recognize the heroism of those who are victims of Martial Law and at the same time give Marcos a hero's burial. It will be a great injustice to the countless of Filipinos who were victims of Marcos' human rights violations and a desecration of their memory if Marcos is allowed to be buried there.

(L)Earning Wealth: Successful Strategies in Money Management Book Launch

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Vince Rapisura, founder of Social Enterprise Development Partnerships, Inc. (SEDPI), a social enterprise that provides financial literacy training programs to low-income OFWs in 15 countries worldwide, recently released his book on personal finance entitles (L)Earning Wealth: Successful Strategies in Money Management.

At his book launch held on July 30, 2016 at Fully Booked located in Bonifacio Global City (BGC) in Taguig city, Vince shared his origins and experiences in life from his birth, to his childhood, his opportunities to advocate love for country during his teenage years as among a representative from the Philippines, and that moment when he finally met his partner, up to the creation of his book. He has been teaching microfinance and social entrepreneurship at the Ateneo de Manila University for the past 13 years, so it's about time he also comes out with a book that would benefit more than his students.

He shared that Filipinos are known to be resilient but how do we, specifically the poor, exactly cope in times of disaster or emergency?

Eight out of ten of the respondents from a survey revealed that the poor coped through accessing loans. A lot are not aware that this coping mechanism is not good for one’s financial health. Loans should be used for productive purposes only. The research result is an illustration that the poor have low financial literacy levels.