Cebu frontliners given life insurance coverage

Conglomerate san miguel Corp. (SMC) on Tuesday said it provided life insurance coverage to about 5,000 medical frontliners from 18 hospitals in Cebu, who are now insured for P2 million each.

“We started this initiative several months ago, at the height of Covid-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) cases in Cebu, when our medical front liners there were really having a hard time. Many of them were also testing positive for the coronavirus. We wanted to do something to help protect them, and to show our solidarity and support for them,” company president Ramon S. Ang said.

With the insurance packages, obtained through Cocolife, Ang said that medical front liners in Cebu can now have added security as they save lives and fight the virus.

“Saving lives is still our highest priority. Unfortunately, Covid-19 can affect anyone, even our doctors and nurses. As much as possible, we cannot lose any more lives, especially not our medical front liners, because they are the ones tasked to save lives. Through this effort, we hope they feel that their everyday sacrifices are valued and appreciated,” Ang said.

Under the program, San Miguel will pay for all the premiums for the insurance of medical frontliners.

SMC’S insurance package has benefited frontliners in the following Cebu hospitals: Perpetual Succor Hospital, Cebu Doctors University Hospital, Southwestern University Medical Center, St. Vincent General Hospital, Mendero Medical Center, Visayas Community Medical Center, Adventist Hospital Cebu, Chong Hua Hospital, Cebu South General Hospital, Cebu Velez General Hospital, Cebu City Medical Center, Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center, Talisay District Hospital, Arc Hospital, Cebu North, Mactan Doctors’ Hospital, Allegiant Regional Care, and University of Cebu Medical Center.

Some 61 Infectious disease specialists and pulmonologists and hundreds of other medical workers were also provided the same insurance coverage.

Since the start of the pandemic, San Miguel has been at the forefront of private sector efforts to mitigate the impacts of Covid-19, including a P500million medical response package for testing machines.