NATIONAL NEWS

Idinepensa kahapon ng Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) ang isinusulong nilang
mas mataas na kontribusyon para sa kanilang mga miyembro at sinabing kinakailangan ito para
sa kanilang plano na palawakin pa ang kanilang coverage.

Ayon kay PhilHealth CEO Emmanuel Ledesma Jr., sa ilalim ng kanilang planong expansion of
coverage, hindi na kakailanganin pa ng kanilang mga miyembro at benepisyaryo na magbayad
pa sa pagpapagamot para sa ilang karamdaman.

“Marami kaming nakalatag na enhancements na siguradong mararamdaman ng mga miyembro

dahil sa mas mababang bayarin sa ospital, kung hindi man wala nang babayaran pa,” ani
Ledesma.

Aniya pa, ira-rationalize ng PhilHealth ang case rates para sa bronchial asthma at bacterial
sepsis sa mga bagong silang na sanggol at COVID-19 inpatient benefits.

Makakaasa rin umano ang mga benepisyaryo ng mas mahusay na packages para sa severe
acute malnutrition sa mga batang edad limang taon at pababa, gayundin ng serbisyo para sa
physical medicine at rehabilitasyon.

Isa pa umano sa mga benepisyo na dapat abangan ay ang enhancement ng peritoneal dialysis
sa ilalim ng Z Benefits Package.

Paliwanag pa ni Ledesma, “This is where the importance of adjusting our contribution rates
comes into play. It will generate funds necessary for us to complete our benefit plans, and more
importantly to sustain the reforms in the benefit packages. ”Matatandaang ang kontribusyon ng
PhilHealth members ay tataas ng hanggang 5% ngayong taon, mula sa dating 4%.

Una na ring sinabi ni Ledesma na hindi tutol si Pang. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. dito ngunit
nirerepaso pa niya ito.
SHOWBIZ

High pa si Kim Chiu sa concert ni Taylor Swift. Kabilang nga si Kim sa dumagsang fans ni
Taylor sa Singapore mula sa iba’t ibang bansa sa Southeast Asia na sabi ay ikinairita ng ibang
kalapit-bansa ng Singapore.

Pero hindi sila nagagalit kay Taylor Swift kundi sa Singaporean government dahil sa isang
exclusive deal na inalok nila sa mga organizer ng concert upang matiyak na sa kanila lang sa
buong Southeast Asia magco-concert ang superstar.

May anim na sold-out concerts with 300,000 fans sa Singapore ang concert ni Taylor, kung
saan 70% pala ng concertgoers ay lumilipad mula sa ibang bansa kaya malaki ang ipinasok na
pera nito sa ekonomiya ng Singapore.

May isang businessman / politician ang nag-planong i-produce sa bansa ang Eras Tour pero
ang sabi raw walang venue sa Pilipinas.

Pero ‘yun pala may contract sa Singapore ang grupo ni Taylor.

Anyway, walang kasama si Kim na nagpunta ng Singapore pero wagas ang saya niya sa mga
post habang nanonood ng concert.

SPORTS

Bago pa man magsimula ang 2024 PVL All-Filipino Conference ay tiniyak na ni veteran coach
Roger Gorayeb sa bagitong Capital1 Solar Energy na hindi sila makukulelat.

“Prior to everything, nag-meeting naman kami. Sinabi ko tiis tayo this conference at ang
promise ko hindi tayo magbo-bottom, which is hopefully mangyari kasi nanalo kami, siguro
naman hindi kami magbo-bottom,” ani Gorayeb sa Solar Spikers.

Umiskor si Jorelle Singh ng 13 points mula sa 12 attacks at 1 block para tulungan ang Capital1
sa 25-18, 25-20, 19-25, 25-20 pagdaig sa baguhan ding Strong Group Athletics kahapon sa
Philsports Arena sa Pasig City.

“Sobrang masaya po kami kasi ito po iyong makakapagpa-boost ng confidence namin. Ito iyong
first win namin kaya sobrang saya,” wika ni Singh.

Nagdagdag si Patty Orendain ng 9 markers kasunod ang 8 points ni Arianne Layug para sa 1-1
record ng Solar Spikers.

Bumira si Mary Joy Onofre ng 12 points galing sa 9 attacks, 2 blocks at 1 ace para sa Athletics
na nalaglag sa 0-3 marka.

Halos makumpleto ng Capital1 ang three-set sweep matapos iposte ang 2-0 bentahe bago
nakapalag ang SGA at inagaw ang third set, 25-19.

Sa fourth frame ay nakadikit ang Athletics sa 19-21 kasunod ang 4-1 bomba ng Solar Spikers
tampok ang hataw ni Layug sa gitna para sa kanilang 25-20 panalo.
NATIONAL

Three House committees yesterday approved three bills that would enhance discounts,
incentives and tax exemptions for senior citizens (SC) and persons with disabilities
(PWDs).

The bills are proposing “comprehensive and user-friendly guidelines for the local
government units and business establishments on the proper administration of SC and
PWD benefits,” according to Rep. Joey Salceda, chair of the House committee on ways
and means.

The measures also mandate business enterprises to train their staff on granting benefits
to these two sectors and to display information about their benefits “conspicuously in
business establishments,” he said during a hearing.

Channels for registering as a senior or a PWD should be “simple, straightforward,

prominently displayed and immediately visible,” he added.

An “e-Gov PH Super App” would also be designed as an alternative for the application
of senior and PWD identification and to access government services, Salceda noted.

Data showed there are some 2.3 million seniors and 670 registered PWDs in the
Philippines.

The measures are products of an inquiry conducted in January by three committees in

the House of Representatives: the committees on ways and means, senior citizens and
persons with disabilities.

They were deliberating on gaps in the implementation of the Senior Citizens Act and
Magna Carta for PWDs after coffee chain Starbucks received flak for capping the 20
percent discount that seniors and PWDs are legally entitled to, limiting it to only “one
food item and one beverage.”

Meanwhile, the proposed P500 monthly discount on groceries will significantly help
seniors and PWDs amid rising inflation, according to the National Commission of Senior
Citizens (NCSC).
SPORTS

Blue and green turn another page to their storied rivalry as reigning champion La Salle
and Ateneo figure in an early clash in the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball
tournament today at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Game time is at 4 p.m. with both teams coming off contrasting paths entering Round 1
of yet another encounter this season. At 2 p.m., rampaging National U (2-1) shoots for
its third straight win against listless University of the Philippines (0-3).

La Salle, installed as the heavy favorite to repeat after slaying NU last season, had its
scalp claimed by the dark horse Santo Tomas (3-0) in last week’s stunner to absorb its
first defeat for a 2-1 record.

Ateneo, for its part, registered its first win in style by pulling off a reverse sweep against
UP to up its morale heading into a tough outing against its fierce rival.

But the favor is still on the Lady Spikers, currently in a three-way tie at No. 2 with NU
and Far Eastern U, by taking full control of the one-sided rivalry with 12 straight wins
against the Blue Eagles in the last seven years.

La Salle is not keen on seeing that streak end, especially against its bitter nemesis that
is starting to learn the ropes under new head coach Sergio Veloso, also the Philippine
men’s national team mentor.

For the Blue Eagles, the only way to stand toe-to-toe with the Lady Spikers is to be
better than themselves.

“La Salle is a strong team and everybody knows that. But no matter who plays on the
other side, we will try to do our best,” Veloso said.
SHOWBIZ

Vice Ganda revealed that he and multi-awarded actress Jaclyn Jose were supposed to
do his "dream project."

In an interview with MJ Felipe of ABS-CBN News, Vice said he wanted to work with
Jaclyn in an indie-type comedy.

"Iba 'yung lungkot na naramdaman ko bukod sa siyempre, wala na siya. Meron kasi
akong dream project din with her, na pinitch ko sa isa sa mga ano sa Star Cinema.
Gusto ko 'yung parang indie-type na movie pero comedy," Vice said.

"Comedy na drama na serious na indie type na mag-nanay kami. Maganda 'yan, sabi
nila, for a change. Sabi ko, gusto ko ito, for ano lang, gusto kong magkaroon ng
ganitong pelikula. Eh, hindi na siya matutuloy. Nakakapanghinayang, kasi gusto ko
talaga 'yung dalawa kami, 'yung dalawa kaming bida," he added.

Vice said that he wanted to play as a son to Jaclyn in their project.

"Ang gusto kong project, dalawa kaming bida na mag-nanay na may kakaiba kaming
dynamics. Kasi napanood ko 'yung ['Kalel, 15'], gustong-gusto ko 'yung pagiging nanay
niya doon. Sabi ko, gusto ko na magkaroon ng ganiyang nanay sa pelikula. 'Yung
nanay na minumura ako, 'yung ganoon. Ayun," Vice said.

The "It's Showtime" host said that Jaclyn was comfortable doing comedy despite being
known for her dramatic roles.