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Ressa’s remark a challenge for Mindanaoans: Piñol

By Che Palicte

August 13, 2020, 7:42 pm

<p>Mindanao Development Authority Secretary Emmanuel Piñol</p>

Mindanao Development Authority Secretary Emmanuel Piñol

DAVAO CITY -- Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said Mindanawons should take the controversial statement of a Manila-based veteran journalist as a challenge to work on a stronger information campaign to correct the prevailing image of Mindanao as a troubled island.

“Ressa's reference to SPMC simply as 'a Davao Hospital', which received bigger funds from PhilHealth than the more popular Philippine General Hospital (PGH) is a stark proof that Mindanao has an image problem,” Piñol said in a statement on Thursday, referring to Rappler editor-in-chief Maria Ressa.

In a Twitter post on Tuesday, Ressa suggested that the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) here obtained the biggest Interim Reimbursement Mechanism (IRM) allocation from the state-run Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) because of favoritism.

Piñol, a former journalist himself, described Ressa's statement as laced with malice and one that offended Mindanawons, especially SPMC's health workers.

But the MinDA chief said Ressa's insinuation of irregularity was reflective of the unfavorable views that non-Mindanawons hold on the island and its residents, following decades of bloody wars against bandits, terrorists, secessionists, and communist rebel groups.

Piñol said the decades of conflicts have painted an ugly image of Mindanao, making the island a mystery for non-residents and a "dreaded land where the undesirables of Luzon are banished to pay for their offenses to society."

“When I took over MinDA exactly one year ago, I identified the region's image problem as one of the major challenges. 'Hindi ba nakakatakot sa Mindanao?' is always the first question asked by people who have not been to Mindanao,” he recalled.

He added that the unwarranted travel advisories issued by foreign embassies did further damage to efforts to project a positive image for Mindanao.

Mindanao transition

Piñol acknowledged that several areas in Mindanao, such as Sulu and parts of Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao provinces, remain risky for travel.

However, he noted that the peace and order situation in the three provinces has drastically improved over the past few years, compared to Metro Manila where cases of kidnapping continue.

“Sulu, Lanao del Sur, and Maguindanao are not as dangerous as they used to be. In fact, I traveled to Patikul, Sulu accompanied only by civilians and crisscrossed most parts of Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao even at night,” he said.

Basilan, a troubled island for so many years, has been virtually cleared of the Abu Sayyaf, thanks to the active support of the civilian leadership to the military operations.

He added that the critical factor in the "dramatic reduction" of violent incidents in Mindanao was the signing of the peace agreement between the government and the main Bangsamoro secessionist group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

“It is an achievement which President Duterte's administration could lay claim to and so far, indicators show that he was right in pursuing the peace deal with the MILF. Former MILF leaders headed by now Interim Chief Minister Ahod 'Murad' Ebrahim are running the government of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao well,” he added.

Further, Piñol cited MinDA's own initiative to promote a positive image for Mindanao through the "Beauty & Bounty of Mindanao" social media campaign.

“There will still be a misconception about Mindanao, some of which are simply results of failure on the part of the government to really drum up the positive developments in the South. Others intentionally spread misinformation laced with malice to undermine the current administration and sadly, one of the purveyors is a reputed veteran journalist,” he said.

Ressa's ignorance

Going back to Maria Ressa, Piñol said he could not believe that a seasoned journalist could be so reckless in comparing SPMC with the PGH. “In her eagerness to put the administration in a bad light, she abandoned a basic tenet in journalism - check, double-check, and if needed, triple-check,” he said.

Piñol said that Ressa should have known that SPMC is the biggest government hospital in the country serving a region with a population of 25.5 million while PGH is among the hundreds of major hospitals in Metro Manila with a population of only 12 million.

“To the people of Mindanao, SPMC is not just 'a Davao hospital' but a 'salvation center' where all of the most serious medical cases are referred to -- from cancer to injuries from accidents, wounds from gunshot and bombings and, yes, coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19),” he said.

He added that the facility is a "symbol of hope and salvation for people in distress" though non-Mindanawons would find this hard to understand.

“We really have to work harder in educating people, including Maria Ressa, so that they will know that Mindanao is actually a better place to live in,” Piñol said.

No irregularities

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a statement Wednesday said there was nothing irregular in PhilHealth's relatively bigger IRM allocation for SPMC.

“SPMC, for the information of everyone, is a 1,500-bed hospital with almost 3,600 personnel. Per the Department of Health (DOH), it is the biggest hospital facility in the country as a government hospital. Last year, the hospital total admissions are 76,586. There are also 586,278 outpatients in the same period,” Roque added.

He also elaborated that SPMC has several integrated specialty buildings which are stand-alone, like the Heart Institute, the Institute for Women and Newborn Care, the Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Institute, the Cancer Institute, the Intensive Care Complex, and the main hospital for General Medicine and Surgery.

"It has the biggest hemodialysis in the country with 65 dialysis chairs," Roque said.

Roque also noted that SPMC has the highest PhilHealth income, breaking the billion mark. Its average income for 2018-2019 is PHP1.2 billion and IRM is based on the monthly average or the track record of reimbursement for 2018-19.

“Historically, SPMC has had the biggest amount of claims due to its regular provision of health care services to patients all over Mindanao,” Roque said. (PNA)

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