Bukod sa pagiging aktres ay nasa corporate world din si Shyr Valdez.
Siya ang PR Consultant ng Medicare Plus Inc. na isang Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) o health insurance company na based dito sa Pilipinas.
Lahad ni Shyr sa panayam ng PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal), “Actually, I've been at it for the past six years or seven years. Hindi ko lang masyadong nilalabas talaga.
“But you know how it is in the business, hindi naman araw-araw meron tayong show.
“So you always have to have something to back to, fallback position, so that's precisely what I'm doing.
"And naniniwala kasi ako that it's always nice to learn other things and we must not stop from learning.”
Read: Shyr Valdez on Marian Rivera: "Masarap siyang kaibigan kasi hindi siya showbiz na kaibigan."
how shyr valdez got medicare job
Ang dating trabaho ni Shyr sa ibang kumpanya ang naging daan para makilala niya ang CEO at President ng Medicare Plus Inc. na si JayJay Viray.
Lahad ni Shyr, “I met her through another company, na nakasama namin siya with work. And then from there, nagkakausap kami, nagkakatrabaho kami every now and then.
“So one of those occasions, she spoke with me and asked me if I would like to join the bandwagon of Medicare Plus Inc. as the PR consultant.
"And that's how it all began.”
Si Shyr ay isa rin sa mga celebrity endorsers ng kumpanya kasama ang young actress na si Jess Martinez at ang South Korean celebrity na si Moon Su-in.
“Yes, I am also both PR and celebrity endorser,” wika ni Shyr.
WHY hMO IS IMPORTANT
Para kay Shyr, napaka-unpredictable ng showbiz kaya mahalaga para sa mga artista na mayroon silang HMO policy.
Aniya, “Oh, you know, an HMO policy, importante iyan kasi, again, as I have said, nowadays, it's not... it's not very cheap when you get sick, when you get hospitalized.
"And kung ang inaasahan mo lang is yung trabaho mo sa showbiz, tapos matiyempo, magkasakit ka nang wala kang regular show or anything like that.
“At alam din naman natin ang mahal din to maintain and become a celebrity. Mahihirapan ka talaga, lalo na masyadong matataas ang mga presyuhan ngayon pag nagkasakit ka. It's not just by the hundreds, it's by the thousands.
“So it is important that you are equipped with an HMO kasi yun na lang mismo yung ibabayad mo pag nagkasakit ka, and that's about it. Wala kang gagastusin."
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PREMIUM AND BENEFIT
Para raw siyang emergency fund na "malaki yung pakinabang mo."
Aniya, “For example, you buy your HMO for, let's say, 8,000 or 10,000 or 11,000 or 12,000. Tapos ang coverage mo, dalawang-daang libo. I mean, ang laki ng difference nun.
“So anytime magkasakit ka and you need to have yung mga annual checkups mo and all that stuff, this will cover it. Hindi mo na kailangan maghanap ng pera."
Ang importante: Alamin ang benefits.
Para kay Shyr, hindi sapat ang pagkakaroon lang ng HMO policy. Kailangan din daw pag-aralan ang pangangailangan ng iyong kalusugan.
May iba-ibang packages kasi.
“Kailangan educated ka with what you need to know about not just your health, but the benefits that you will get from companies that offer HMOs, insurance, mga ganyan.
"It is very important na alam natin iyan lahat.
EMERGENCY CARD
Isa sa products ng kumpanya niya ay para sa emergency cases.
The premium for ER Guard is PHP900, "ang coverage mo niyan is 20,000."
For ER Guard Plus, it's PHP3,500, "ang coverage mo…is 50,000 including room-in.”
Malaking bagay daw ito sa mga walang HMO benefits.
“For tourists, OFWs, even here, lalo na dito sa atin, yung mga hindi talaga maka-afford ng coverage, they can use the ER guard. One-time use iyan for emergency.
“While you're here in the Philippines and even if you're a resident, lalo na pag residente ka dito, di ba? And another thing with that, lahat ng existing mong sakit, accepted niya.”
shyr valdez on moon su-in and healthcare for foreigners
Napag-usapan din ang South Korean model-basketball player na si Moon Su-in.
Ayon kay Shyr, ang manager niyang si Rams David ang agent ni Moon Su-in dito sa Pilipinas.
Bakit siya ang napiling endorser?
"He's a believer of that. He's a health buff person.
“He is somebody who embodies what an HMO is. He believes in taking care of oneself and being prepared about it."
Bumagay naman kay Moon Su-in ang ER Guard.
Paliwanag ni Shyr, “Pumapasok siya roon because if you are a foreigner or a tourist, you're a foreigner, you're visiting here in the Philippines, you can actually make use of that.
“If anything happens to you, nag-emergency ka, you get into a hospital, you just bring your ER guard.
"I-register mo lang siya bago ka dumating dito within one week, it's activated and you can use it in one year.
“Anything happens to you, we'll take care of you.”
SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO FOR PEOPLE IN SHOWBIZ
Samantala, ikinalulungkot ni Shyr kapag merong kapwa niya artista na nagkasakit or naaksidente, at para makabayad sa ospital ay nagpa-fundraising show o nanghihingi ng donation.
“Well, you know, of course, I feel very sad about that.
“Kasi diyan mo makikita na ang hirap magkasakit, lalo na kung hindi ka nakapag-ipon, di ba? Kahit artista iyan and kahit din may naipon ka, di ba?
“Pero yung klase ng sakit mo at yung mahal ng kailangan mong tustusan pag nagkasakit ka, minsan hindi rin enough ang savings mo. So you need to be properly backed up.
"Kaya nga ngayon...something is brewing between Medicare Plus Inc. and our business, showbiz. So as soon as maplantsa namin iyan and everything, you’ll all know.”
Ang inaayos na project ay mapapakinabangan daw ng mga taga-showbiz industry, at "siguro mga nasa 80" percent ang chance na matuloy ito.
May pinaplano na rin silang kunin na isang malaking artista bilang bagong celebrity endorser.
“Actually, she was our very first. Natapos yung contract and then medyo inayos lang namin, may mga inayos pa kami, and now, we are again, discussing.”