Survey: College Students not PhilHealth-ready for F2F Classes

Most college students do not have a required PhilHealth membership, and are therefore unprepared for the limited reopening of classes, according to an online survey.

The Forerunner conducted a survey from April 13 to 18, where 26 college students from universities in Luzon responded.

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Department of Health (DOH) issued the CHED-DOH Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) No. 2021-001 on Dec. 15, 2021 to guide the limited reopening of colleges during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The memorandum stated that “students who will participate in limited F2F classes under this JMC… are registered with PhilHealth, either as a direct or indirect contributor (dependents of the contributor), or with equivalent medical insurance that covers medical expenses related to COVID-19.”

However, 17 of the respondents do not have a PhilHealth membership yet, according to the survey.

Some of the reasons college students gave include lack of time, the confusing process of PhilHealth membership application, no concern for their membership status, and no knowledge that it is a requirement in the first place.

“I am busy with school works and I barely go out. The reason why I can't arrange the papers,” Ivee Asuncion, a student from Emilio Aguinaldo College, said.

The nine respondents with PhilHealth, however, are already dependent contributors or dependent on their parent’s membership.

Furthermore, 69% of the respondents agree that the need for a PhilHealth membership before participating in limited F2F classes is vital.

Celine Bautista, a student from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines-Taguig, said “I think it's a good idea, in such a way that it gives the students and their parents a kind of ease.”

She added, “To know that if something bad will happen, regarding their health, PhilHealth will be there to kind of cover some expenses.”

However, John Benedict Hallare, a student from the De La Salle University Manila, expressed his concern over the possible exclusivity of the PhilHealth requirement, saying, “It should not strictly be required given [since] not all students have the ability to apply for one.”

But the recent issue of corruption is a concern among the respondents. “The corruption within PhilHealth has caused me to perceive it [as] not trustworthy for my hard-earned money,” said Angel Dagoy, a student from the University of the Philippines-Baguio.

In August 2020, former PhilHealth anti-fraud legal officer Thorsson Montes Keith revealed during a Senate investigation that the agency suffers from widespread corruption.

“Naniniwala po ako na ang perang winaldas at ninakaw ay humigit kumulang Php15 billion,” Keith said.

Despite these issues, 15 of the respondents will still apply for a PhilHealth membership to attend face-to-face classes because it is a requirement. Divine Word College of Calapan student Mark Umali added that they can also use the memberships in most workplaces.

The CHED-DOH JMC No. 2021-001 allowed the gradual reopening of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) under Alert Levels 1, 2, and 3 with the permission of local government units.

Meanwhile, HEIs under Alert Levels 1 and 2 were allowed to apply for limited F2F classes in December 2021 and January 2022 for HEIs under Alert Level 3.