Healthcare workers assist a senior citizen get inoculated against COVID-19 in a vaccination facility in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte. (Photo courtesy of the Ilocos Norte provincial government)
MANILA, Philippines — More than 496,000 healthcare workers (HCWs) have so far been given special risk allowance (SRA) as part of the country’s fight against the coronavirus pandemic, the Department of Health (DOH) reported Tuesday.
In a House briefing on the COVID-19 situation in the country, DOH Assistant Secretary Maylene Beltran said 496,314 HCWs received SRA as of January 14, 2022.
The SRA provided has amounted to nearly P8 billion, Beltran said.
“We have an additional request for SRA amounting to P3.3 billion and to cover the special risk allowance of around 185,000 HCWs,” Beltran said.
The additional request covers three batches of HCWs—59,697 for the first batch; 79,708 for the second batch; and 45,394 for the last batch.
“As of now, we’ve made representations to the DBM (Department of Budget and Management). We’re working it out with the DBM because we are also trying to review the savings that we can use from our 2021 budget para ma-meet namin yung (so we can meet the) amount for these SRA,” Beltran said.
Meanwhile, Beltran reported that 106,115 HCWs had been provided meal and transportation allowance as of January 17, 2022.
Early this month, President Rodrigo Duterte said he wants to increase the SRA of medical volunteers at the frontlines of the battle against COVID-19.
READ: Duterte wants to increase special risk allowance of medical volunteers
In turn, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the DOH would meet with the Department of Finance and the DBM to ensure enough funding for the SRA of health workers at the COVID-19 frontlines.
READ: DOH to meet with DOF, DBM to ensure funding for health workers’ SRA