(by Jaimee Maxine M. Becera, Jullian A. Mariquit, Janine Petallana)
Kananga I District Nurse Letecia Demeterio led a Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) orientation for Kananga National High School (KNHS) teaching and non-teaching personnel on January 23, 2026, at the school’s multipurpose hall.
Demeterio said the orientation covered the HMO’s scope, coverage, and benefits and was anchored on the Department of Education (DepEd) Leyte Division Memorandum No. 036, s. 2026, released on January 13, 2026.
“Per quarter unya ₱4,000 ang laboratory. Kung semi-private ang imo pillion, kay kung mupili pud ka, ang package nato is kuan ra man semi-private. So, kung ganahan ka sa private, puwede man, pero mubayad man ka sa excess (It’s per quarter, then ₱4,000 is for the laboratory. If you choose semi-private, since the package only includes semi-private. If you want private [health facilities], it’s allowed, but you need to pay for the excess),” Demeterio said.
Demeterio said active DepEd teaching and non-teaching staff only need to present a valid ID at an accredited hospital or clinic to avail of HMO benefits.
She said the HMO provides a minimum in-patient benefit limit of ₱75,000 per illness.
Meanwhile, outpatient benefits include coverage for regular consultation and treatment, laboratory and X-ray, treatment for minor injuries and surgery, eye, ear, nose, and throat treatment, and ultrasound.
The HMO will also cover the physician’s service fee, medicines used during treatment or for immediate relief, casts, dressings, and sutures, oxygen and intravenous services, and other basic diagnostic examinations.
However, Demeterio said she remains unsure why some information differs, citing an instance in which personnel were told the in-patient benefit limit was ₱75,000, but a colleague later called the HMO provider and was told the maximum coverage was ₱300,000.
“Gi-emergency ‘mi ug meeting unya wa ‘mi tanan mao na iyahay na lang gyud mi kay mag-orientation ‘mi naay memo unya unsa may amo ipanubag (“We were called to an emergency meeting, but not everyone was able to attend, so we had to make do and work with what we had. We had the memo and we had to conduct the orientation—otherwise, what were we going to answer when questions came up?),” Demeterio said.
“Kining 75 [₱75,000] amo pa ning ipangutana karon kay mag MANCOM man sa February 5, unya pa-attendon man gyud ang taga HMO kay si Dra. gani mismo wa nila gi-orient (We will ask for clarification on the ₱75,000 figure during the MANCOM on February 5 since the HMO provider is required to attend the meeting. They have not yet conducted an orientation—even for the doctor [the DepEd Leyte division doctor]),” the district nurse added.
An HMO is a type of health insurance that provides prepaid healthcare services, allowing members to access a network of accredited hospitals, doctors, and clinics with little to no upfront payment, depending on the plan’s coverage and approval requirements.
