In a public hearing conducted by the Senate Committee on Health on Tuesday, 20 August, the Department of Health (DoH) revealed that the number of Health Emergency Allowance (HEA) claims significantly increased as a result of the series of hearings led by Senator Christopher “Bong” Go.

The hearings have provided a crucial platform for healthcare workers to voice their concerns, leading to a noticeable uptick in the submission of appeals for unpaid allowances. In response, a healthcare workers group expressed their gratitude to Go, acknowledging his persistent efforts to address their long-standing issues.

During the hearing, Go expressed deep concern over the persistent delays in the release of HEA payments. He stressed that despite multiple hearings and promises from the DoH and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), many healthcare workers are still waiting for their allowances.

While acknowledging the progress made as DBM and DoH continue to reconcile records and expedite release of HEA, Go also recognized that much work remains to be done, particularly in addressing the appeals of other healthcare workers who claim to have yet to receive their emergency allowances.

Go then opened the floor to Ronald Ignacio, spokesperson for the United Private Hospital Unions of the Philippines, asking him to share other ongoing concerns of healthcare workers.

Ignacio acknowledged that the hearings have indeed made a difference, particularly in the processing of HEA claims. He shared that some hospitals have recently received 19 months’ worth of HEA, although the payments have not yet been fully disbursed to the healthcare workers’ accounts.

However, Ignacio also highlighted that many hospitals are still waiting for their HEA payments, with some still facing substantial delays. He expressed concerns about the situation in non-unionized hospitals, where healthcare workers lack the venue to air concerns or worse, penalized for inquiring about their emergency allowances.