MANILA, Philippines — The funds originally intended as allowances for public hospital employees but were “repurposed” by the Department of Health (DOH) will be given to them as cash, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said Saturday.
Vergeire said the Office of the President told the DOH this month to monetize the allowances that were supposed to pay for the transportation, accommodation and meals of health workers. However, Vergeire added that the DOH is still looking for funds for it.
“Iyan ang susundin natin. Hinahanapan lang ng pondo pero gusto kong i-assure ang ating healthcare workers na ‘yung pera ay hinahanap natin at ibibigay ito sa inyo through monetized na ito, pera na ang ibibigay sa inyo,” she said at the Laging Handa public briefing.
(We will follow that. We are just looking for funds but I want to assure our healthcare workers that we are trying to look for money and we will give it to you monetized.)
“Konting patience lang po (We request for a little patience). We are trying to find funds and we are going to give this to all of you,” she added.
According to Vergeire, the DOH monitored last December that the funds released for allowances are not being used by hospitals because of certain rules on procurement and fund utilization.
“Kaya minarapat ng DOH na kunin na lang ulit, ibabalik natin sa quick response fund, dahil hindi pwedeng nakatengga ang pera sa kanila,” she explained.
(We opted to get it from them again and revert it to the quick response fund because the money cannot stay with them.)
However, Vergeire said the DOH later had to use the returned money to procure COVID-19 test kits and other items needed by the government to address the pandemic.