Dr. Eduardo Banzon, PhilHealth president and chief executive officer, is meeting with Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr., members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan and mayors of Negros Occidental at Nature’s Village Resort in Talisay City this morning.

The Negros Occidental SP approved a resolution Wednesday calling for a PhilHealth moratorium on the increase of its premium contributions this year.

The mayors in Negros Occidental are also opposed to the increase in PhilHealth premiums from P600 to P1,200 this year, and to P2,400 in 2013.

Marañon Jr. had earlier said that the 31 mayors had agreed to withdraw payment of premiums for their 148,081 indigent enrollees with PhilHealth, and instead pay the amount directly to the Negros Occidental Comprehensive Health Care Programthat will be their health insurance provider, if the increased is implemented.

The governor said yesterday they will listen to what Banzon has to say today, and negotiate.

Meanwhile, Marañon said he expects a report from a firm they hired to study the reorganization of Capitol employees soon.

He said the reorganization will probably be implemented in March.

The governor also expects the Commission on Audit to come out with its decision this month on the provincial government’s contract for the sale and lease of its property near the Capitol in Bacolod to Ayala Land.

It looks like the COA legal department had a favorable endorsement, he said.

The governor also said the 6,000 heads of sheep the provincial government is buying from Australia will leave Perth on January 19 and are expected to arrive in Negros Occidental in two weeks, depending on the weather.

Meanwhile, the governor called on new Western Visayas Customs chief Julius Premediles to ensure that no sugar smuggling occurs in his area of jurisdiction.*CPG

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