DOH still waiting on budget approval for health workers' COVID-19 allowances

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 15) — Health officials are still waiting on the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to approve needed funding to pay the benefits of medical professionals who served during the COVID-19 pandemic.

At Wednesday's hearing of the House Committee on Health, Department of Health (DOH) Undersecretary Gloria Balboa said they are requesting for ₱62.7 billion for their 2024 budget to cover Health Emergency Allowances (HEAs) that remain unpaid.

This amount will cover allowances for the years 2021 to 2023.

“Hopefully ‘pag naibigay po iyan ng DBM po sa atin at na-release ay mako-cover na po,” Balboa said. [Translation: Hopefully, when the DBM releases it to us, we will be able to cover the unpaid HEAs.]

Balboa added that the DOH has so far paid over ₱50 billion worth of HEAs.

She was responding to Batanes Rep. Ciriaco Gato, chairman of the Committee on Health, who asked for an update on the unpaid allowances.

“Marami na rin lumalapit sa 'kin, at I’m sure sa mga kapwa ko mga congressman, nagre-reklamo din ang mga health workers sa distrito namin,” Gato said.

[Translation: Many are approaching me, and I'm sure my fellow congressmen as well, the health workers in our district are also complaining.]

Under Republic Act 11712 or the Public Health Emergency Benefits and Allowance for Health Care Workers Act, health workers are entitled to benefits for every month of service while the country is under a state of public health emergency.

They will receive ₱3,000 to ₱9,000 depending on the risk classification of the area they serve.