Healthcare workers finally get P27-B emergency pay

The Department of Health (DoH) on Friday vowed to immediately sub-allot the P27-billion health emergency allowance (HEA) to the Centers for Health Development (CHD).

“The CHD will then facilitate the disbursement of the HEA to the local government units and private health facilities under their jurisdiction, subject to requirements such as the liquidation of previous fund transfers and memorandums of agreement,” Health Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo told reporters via Viber.

“The [local government units] and private hospitals will be in charge of finally giving the cash payments to the health workers,” Domingo said.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) released the Special Allotment Release Order and Notice of Cash Allocation amounting to P27.453 billion in health emergency allowance which would settle all unpaid claims for the allowance of healthcare workers.

The fund will cover the payment of 5,039,926 remaining validated unpaid HEA and 4,283 Covid-19 sickness and death compensation claims of eligible healthcare and non-healthcare workers, according to the DBM.