File photo taken in 2021 shows nurses at a COVID-19 ward. (INQUIRER)
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) has received the sub-allotment release order for the remaining P27.4 billion health emergency allowance (HEA) for healthcare workers who served at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa, in a televised interview on Tuesday said that the release order will pave the way for the quicker release of the remaining allowance.
“[Ang] sub-allotment release order, ibig sabihin ay may budget na, so this week daw ilalabas, so sa palagay ko sa next week ay matatanggap na ng ating mga region at healthcare workers natin.” said Herbosa in a Radyo 360 interview
(The sub-allotment release order means the budget is available. It will be released this week. I think that by next week, the regions and healthcare workers will be able to receive the allowances.)
He also clarified that this is the last batch of HEAs the government owes healthcare workers.
Last Friday, the Department of Budget and Management announced the release of the remaining allowance.
Healthcare workers are entitled to the allowance for every month of service in which they have responded to a “state of public health emergency,” according to Republic Act No. 11712.
The allowance can range from P3,000 for workers deployed in low-risk areas to P9,000 for those deployed in high-risk areas. (Felice Nafarrete / INQUIRER.net intern)