Wandergirl Speaks

One of my key agendas for 2012 is to have my membership data amended for Philhealth and for SSS. At exactly 9 AM this morning I arrived at the Philhealth service office in Las Pinas, located at 471 Editha Bldg. Alabang Zapote Rd. Just like the rest of the government offices here in the Philippines, it’s recommended that you arrive at Philhealth’s service office early to avoid the long queue; thereby, you finish early.

My purpose is to change my civil status from single to married, as well as employment status from private employee to self-employed/individually paying. First of all, I appreciate the people at the Las Pinas service office because everyone remains polite. At least, in my experience. I asked for the PMRF form (Philhealth Member Registration Form) and asked directions from the officer in-charge in the information area.

I was told to fill-out the form and prepare the original and the duplicate copies of my NSO marriage contract. I came very well prepared so I didn’t have to find a copier to get my documents duplicated. If you’re simply changing your civil status, you’d only need to present a photocopy of your marriage contract. If you have corrections with your name, you’ll be asked to present a copy of your birth certificate and some secondary documents, such as NBI Clearance, Passport, Postal ID, or SSS/GSIS ID. For the complete requirements, you can check PhilHealth’s website.

At the time I arrived they are already serving # 1025; I’m # 1053. The queue is satisfactorily fast. After a little over 30 minutes of waiting, I was assigned to  booth # 1. I think there are about 7 or 8 booths serving the people. The staff asked if I’d be paying for the 1st quarter already which I politely obliged. I was told to proceed to the building’s 3rd floor where the cashiers are situated. Self-employed professionals/individually paying whose monthly income is Php 25,000 and below, the premium contribution is Php 300/quarter. And self-employed professionals/individually paying whose monthly income is  Php 25,000 and above, the premium contribution is Php 600/quarter.

I was informed that Philhealth will be implementing an increase beginning this year on the annual premium contributions. So that means, self-employed individuals under the Individually Paying are soon to expect an annual premium contribution from Php 1,200 to 2,400.

Well, as if there’s anything I can do about that. As long as I know that I can avail my Philhealth benefits in the future without any hassle I’m okay with that. Besides, I am already aware that freelancers like me do not get to enjoy the usual benefits offered to privately employed individuals; and the least I can do is to make voluntary payments just so I’m covered.

So, after I paid for my Jan-Mar contribution, I headed back to the man who served me and gave him my payment receipt. He handed me back the receipt along with my updated Member’s Data Record (MBR) and my new Philhealth ID. I was reminded to pay for my 2nd quarter dues before June.

That’s it, I was able to finish everything in just an hour and a half. At that point, I decided to proceed to SSS to update my data record. The experience wasn’t as breezy as Philhealth. Just ready my separate post for it.

In all, I was very satisfied with the efficiency I’ve seen at the Philhealth service office in Las Pinas. There are still room for improvement but I can say it’s the best government service experience I’ve had so far.