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AnaKalusugan Party-list Rep. Ray Reyes is reiterating his call for the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) to include in its packages the coverage of dental health under the Universal Health Care (UHC) law. This, after the party-list carries out dental missions in five towns in Antique as part of its initiatives to bring healthcare services closer to people in far-flung areas. “If there is any takeaway from our dental missions, it is that there is a need for PhilHealth and local government units (LGUs) to focus on the expansion of their regular services and seriously move towards the coverage of the dental needs of our constituents,” Reyes said in a statement Sunday, April 23. During the dental missions, Reyes noted how many Filipinos, especially the ones in the countryside, have brushed off the need to go to dentists because of its cost. "Marami sa ating mga kababayan sa probinsya ang hindi makapunta sa dentista o ayaw magpatingin sa dentista dahil sa takot na kailangan magbayad ng malaking halaga (A lot of our countrymen from the province either can't go to the dentist or refuse to go for fear of the high cost)," the rookie congressman said. Reyes underscored that dental problems shouldn't be ignored as these could have a serious impact on health. “Dental complaints have serious ramifications on productivity. It cannot be ignored, set aside for later or swept under the rug. If we are to seriously move towards economic recovery and rural development, these must be attended to,” he said. Reyes said more than 500 residents from the towns of Valderrama, Patnongon, San Remegio, Sibalom, and Anini-y availed of dental services, which included consultation, extraction, dental filling, and prophylaxis.