More than 200,000 residents of Enlisted Men's Barrio (EMBO) expressed their concerns about the kind of health services they would be getting from the Taguig City government after Makati City opted to shut down the health centers that were previously under its jurisdiction.
On 29 December, all the health centers in the 10 EMBO barangays covered by the land dispute were closed.
To recall, in September 2023, officials of Taguig City rejected proposals by the Makati City government to effect the "smooth transfer" of Makati's health facilities and services. This was according to Makati City administrator Claro Certeza, saying several proposed memoranda of agreement (MOA) were "outrightly rejected without a valid reason" by Taguig City officials.
Certeza said Makati City Mayor Abby Binay, in a letter to Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano, proposed an agreement regarding the transfer of healthcare services and facilities at Ospital ng Makati (OsMak).
In the proposed agreement, Makati offered Taguig a substantial credit line that would allow the affected residents caught in the territorial dispute to still access essential healthcare services at OsMak. The credit line would enable Taguig to provide healthcare services to its residents without immediate upfront payments.
But Cayetano refused to consider the proposal and opted to put off any discussions about OsMak.
In another letter, Binay also offered Cayetano the option to lease or purchase the land of the eight health centers located in the barangays previously under Makati's jurisdiction. The health centers are located in Barangays Cembo, Comembo, East Rembo, Pembo, Pitogo, Rizal, South Cembo and West Rembo.
On Monday residents of the 10 barangays whose jurisdiction was transferred from Makati City to Taguig City were no longer allowed to use their yellow cards which provided them government-subsidized health care. Some of the affected residents are worried about the loss of their benefits under the yellow cards.
A senior citizen, who was interviewed but refused to be named, said they don't know where they would be getting their medicines for their maintenance after their yellow cards were deemed ineffective starting 1 January 2024. The said medicines for maintenance were being given for free by the health centers and their dialysis treatments were also given free at the Ospital ng Makati provided they have their yellow cards.
For so many years, residents of the 10 EMBO barangays have enjoyed such privileges but now they are at a loss as to what will happen once the medicine supplies given to them are already gone and the dialysis treatments, as well.
Meanwhile, the City of Taguig announced its telemedicine hotlines for EMBO barangays in response to the closure of EMBO health centers.
•BARANGAY WEST REMBO
Telemedicine Number: 09628330504
Official Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/BarangayWestRemboHealthCenterTaguig/
•BARANGAY PITOGO
Telemedicine Number: 09628330498
Official Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/BarangayPitogoHealthCenterTaguig/
•BARANGAY CEMBO
Telemedicine Number: 09628330502
Official Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/BarangayCemboHealthCenterTaguig/
•BARANGAY PEMBO
Telemedicine Number: 09998027191
Official Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/BarangayPemboHealthCenterTaguig/
•BARANGAY SOUTH CEMBO
Telemedicine Number: 09497744676
Official Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/BarangaySouthCemboHealthCenterT…/
•BARANGAY EAST REMBO
Telemedicine Number: 09497744668
Official Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/BarangayEastRemboHealthCenterTa…/
•BARANGAY RIZAL
Telemedicine Number: 09628330496
Official Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/BarangayRizalHealthCenterTaguig/
•BARANGAY POST PROPER NORTHSIDE
Telemedicine Number: 09628330501
Official Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/BarangayPostProperNorthsideHeal…/
•BARANGAY POST PROPER SOUTHSIDE
Telemedicine Number: 09497744680
Official Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/BarangayPostProperSouthsideHeal…/
•BARANGAY COMEMBO
Telemedicine Number: 09627634145
Official Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/BarangayComemboHealthCenterTaguig/