DBM to track delivery of COVID-19 allowance for healthcare workers

FILE PHOTO: Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah Pangandaman. INQUIRER FILES

DBM to track delivery of COVID-19 allowance for healthcare workers

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) promised to monitor the distribution of the P27 billion COVID-19 allowance for healthcare workers released Friday, July 5.

DBM chief Amenah Pangandaman said they will coordinate with the Department of Health (DOH) to make sure that the allocation will be given to qualified beneficiaries.

The remaining P27.453 billion COVID-19 health emergency allowances (HEAs) are expected to cover 5,039,926 unpaid health emergency allowances and 4,283 COVID-19 Sickness and Death Compensation claims of eligible healthcare workers.

“We will closely coordinate po with the Department of Health. Madali naman pong kausap si [DOH] Sec. Herbosa. We will monitor po kung gaano po kabilis at kung tama po ba ang kanilang distribution,” Pangandaman said in a radio interview, as quoted in a DBM statement issued Friday.

(We will closely coordinate with the Department of Health. DOH Sec. Herbosa is easy to talk to. We will monitor how quick and accurate the distribution will be.)

READ: P27-B COVID-19 allowance for healthcare workers released Friday – DBM

“Ang pakiusap po namin sa DOH ay sana po maging maayos, mabilis at efficient ang kanilang pag-distribute ng HEA. Sana po ay magawa nila ito sa mas madaling panahon, dahil matagal na din po itong hinihintay ng ating mga kababayan,” she added.

(We ask the DOH to be quick and efficient in distributing the HEA. I hope they do it as soon as possible because the healthcare workers have been waiting long enough for this.)

The Alliance of Healthcare Workers (AHW), however, earlier questioned the timeliness of the COVID-19 HEAs release, noting that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s State of the Nation Address is just around the corner.

READ: COVID-19 allowance release timed for Sona, decries health workers group

“The timing of the release of long overdue benefits is very timely to the upcoming State of the Nation Address by the president. Is it because the administration just wants to showcase his accomplishments rather than addressing the urgent needs of health workers?” asked AHW national president Robert Mendoza.

The COVID-19 HEAs is based on the Public Health Emergency Benefits and Allowances (PHEBA) for healthcare workers which gives Special Risk Allowance (SRA), compensation for COVID-19 sickness and death, and additional benefits like meals, accommodation, and transportation allowances to them.