COMMISSION on Higher Education Chairman Prospero de Vera III is in favor of the proposed law that will provide mandatory free health plan coverage to faculty and non-teaching personnel in State Universities and Colleges.

In a Senate hearing, De Vera expressed support for Senate Bill 736 or the proposed Free Health Card for all SUC Personnel Act filed by Senator Joel Villanueva.

However, the CHED chairman noted that the bill might clash with the policies of the Department of Budget and Management and the Commission on Audit.

De Vera explained that based on DBM and COA’s guidance, there is no need for free health maintenance plan coverage since all employees of the SUCs are members of Philhealth.

Senate Committee on Higher, Technical and Vocational Education Chairman Francis Escudero asked the secretariat to coordinate with the DBM and COA to get their points on the bill.

“Kung maive-veto lang din naman, sayang naman ang pagpapaguran natin,” Escudero said.

Villanueva’s proposal mandates all SUCs to provide mandatory HMO coverage to all full-time faculty and regular non-teaching personnel.

“A free HMO coverage will not only increase the job satisfaction among SUC personnel, but it will also ensure that a healthy pool of faculty and non-teaching personnel will be able to teach and shape the minds of younger generations continuously and rigorously,” Villanueva said in his explanatory note on the bill.