Is PhilHealth necessary?
I have been living in Europe for over 10 years, but I am still a Filipino citizen, as I do not want to lose my Filipino identity (“Watch: UAE-based Filipinos discuss effect of mandatory PhilHealth payment suspension”, Gulf News, May 4). Why do I need to pay for something I don’t use? Neither do I go to my home country for holidays. The Durterte government should put a clear line as to who pays the premiums to PhilHealth (Philippine Health Insurance Corporation) and why.
Yes, this is distressing me. Here in Denmark, all health sectors are free. Hospitals, doctors, operations, cancer treatments, everything is free. Why must I need to pay PhilHealth given that I don’t live in the Philippines? If I go home for a holiday and suddenly visit the doctor, I prefer to go to our private doctors and pay in cash anyway. PhilHealth should not be compulsory. This should only be applicable to those who are in need of it. Lawmakers should think twice about this. If they want another source of income for the budget, then maybe they could tax people who have earnings of more than a million in a year. The more you earn, the more taxes you should pay monthly, according to me. The government needs to stop adding to our burdens, please.
From Ms Jennifer Rasmussen
Denmark
Remembering the stars
A day after Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan died, another legendary actor Rishi Kapoor died in Mumbai, on April 30, after a protracted battle with cancer (“Irrfan Khan, Rishi Kapoor: India’s tears spoke of the unity that once was”, Gulf News, May 4). Bollywood actors and other renowned celebrities took to social media platforms to express their condolences. It won’t be out of context to say that nothing is yours in this temporal world, as our faiths teach us. Only your good deeds and the service you do for mankind through your social and artistic works will remain as a testimony of your greatness. Khan and Kapoor will be remembered as great artists for years to come.
From Mr Shiben Krishen Raina
India
A man of many facets
The man of many facets; an actor par excellence, a husband who loved to give attention to his family, above all a beautiful human being - I’m talking about Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan, who passed away last week after a long battle with cancer. The portrayal of his roles made him an actor who carved a niche for himself, in the world of actors who have done well commercially. Not bothering to be in that race, he just went on to do his good work without worrying about commercial success. His acting skills were acknowledged, not only by filmmakers, but by a large section of audience who became his lifelong fans.
He respected his craft to the level that doing television was considered as a stepping stone and as an opportunity to learn and prepare for the big screen. He broke the paradigm of "art cinema" as they call it. Movies like Maqbool proved that only good cinema will survive, irrespective of any commercial elements included in it.
His effortless acting could be felt in every role he portrayed, which is why his audience could relate to him. His last gift to his fans was the film Angrezi Medium. While promoting the film, in an interview he told his fans, “Wait for me”, and thinking about it is heart wrenching. Those words will echo for years to come. No wonder he was admired by one and all. Nobody can replace this cinematic gem ever. The simplicity with which, he performed will live on. May his soul rest in peace.
From Ms Sujata Mattoo
Dubai
Distance learning: Is it stressful?
I am a student in a Sharjah-based school (“Coronavirus UAE: Remote learning workload becoming a stressor”, Gulf News, May 3). During these e-learning sessions, teachers feel students are without any work, so they tend to give us much more assignments and projects to finish. Some of them even teach during breaks. If we remind them of this, we get scolded. But the most important of all is even after the Sharjah Private Education Authority (SPEA) instructed schools to not keep classes on Saturdays, during Ramadan, teachers are keeping tests on Saturdays. This has been stressful. Teachers should understand the situation and the stress on the students during these tough times.
From Mr Knight. R
Sharjah
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