The Filipino government has allotted 3.5 billion pesos(US$79.3 million) for a programme to provide free health insurance to about five million families belonging to the poorest strata of the population, reports GMA News citing the National Anti-Poverty Commission.
The commission's secretary, Domingo Panganiban, says that the health insurance premiums are worth 1,200 pesos each under the Sponsored Programme of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp.
Ms Gilda Salvacion Diaz of the PhilHealth Corporate Planning Department says that local social welfare development offices are expected to conduct a means test among poor communities to identify those who will be granted the free health insurance.
