The Negros Occidental provincial government will not pursue the plan to set up a local health insurance system and will instead provide indigent constituents with PhilHealth coverage, Governor Isidro Zayco said yesterday.

The provincial government is allocating an initial P10 million for the PhilHealth coverage program for indigents next year, Zayco said.

Zayco said the decision was reached after a meeting in Manila Tuesday with lawyers who informed him that the Commission on Audit will disallow the allocation of local government funds to a foundation without a three-year track record.

The setting up of a foundation for the provincial health insurance program was initially being eyed.

Since we cannot set up our own insurance system we will have indigents covered by PhilHealth and will augment this with private insurance policies, Zayco said.

SENATE CONTROVERSY

On the current controversy in the Senate on the alleged double budget entries for the C-5 road, Vice Gov. Emilio Yulo III said “We just have to bear with the fact that the political season my have commenced early.”

“We just hope that the legislative process will not be affected,” he said.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson has linked Senate President Manuel Villar to the P200-million double entry, which the latter has denied.

Gov Isidro Zayco said the road controversy is the essence of democracy, where our senators, especially the presidential aspirants, are able to speak out.

That is good so people can be informed on what is happening so they can make their own judgments, he said.

ECONOMIC WOES

Meanwhile, Yulo said he hopes the US financial crisis will not affect Negros Occidental.

Zayco said the US financial crisis could affect the local economy, but he is sure the Americans will address the problem. They are considered a superpower and they cannot afford to have their economy worsen, he said.*CPG

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