Local tailor Benjamin Manabat relies on his glasses to work. He suffers from farsightedness, making it difficult for him to see objects up close. Though he needs proper eyewear, he can only afford cheap glasses, which don’t last long. 

"Hindi mo makikita’ yung butas kung paano mo isusuot ang karayom... Kung magpapagawa ka sa optical mahal, P3,500, limang libo kaya dun na lang ako sa mga ukay-ukay diyan palalagyan ko ng grado," he said. 

(You can't thread the needle if you don’t have proper glasses. If you get prescription glasses from optical shops, it costs around ₱3,500 to ₱5,000. That's why I just get them from thrift shops.) 

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 Similarly, 81-year-old Patricia Cinco has been borrowing a rusty wheelchair from her barangay. After slipping and fracturing her hip last January, she has been unable to stand or walk.

 "Nakaupo lang ako, nakahiga. ‘Pag ano binubuhat ako ng anak ko... Gusto ko wheelchair na lang, sasakay ako.... Wala naman akong pambili... kulang ang pera," she said. 

(I can only sit or lie down. My son lifts me when needed. I want a wheelchair for myself, but I can't afford one. The money is not enough.)

 PhilHealth is planning to include prescriptive eyeglasses and other assistive devices like wheelchairs, crutches, canes, and walkers in their benefits package for members. 

 Currently, the agency covers low vision glasses and wheelchairs only for children with disabilities under its Z Benefits Package. 

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"This is a response to the request of many members na sana ma-expand natin at ma-cover natin 'yung mga ganyang klaseng devices. And ganun pa rin, meron pa rin pong mga requests ang ating mga Congress people na sana po ay ma-include na rin sa expansion ng benefits 'yung mga ganyan," said Dr. Israel Pargas, PhilHealth Spokesperson and Senior Vice President for Health Finance Policy.

 (This is a response to the request of many members who hope we can expand and cover such devices. There have also been requests from Congress to include these in the benefits expansion.)

 PhilHealth clarified that these items would need to be medically prescribed and they are still studying the costs of the coverage. 

"Siyempre, pag kinover natin 'yan hindi lang naman isang taon kundi tuluy-tuloy na rin. So hopefully ma-cover natin lahat at malibre na natin lahat depende lang kung ano ang kalalabasan ng ating study," Pargas added. 

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(Once we cover these, it will be continuous, not just for a year. Hopefully, we can cover everything and provide them for free, depending on the results of the study.) 

The new policy is expected to be implemented by 2025.