100,000 frontliners to finally get allowances

FRONTLINERS On duty Healthworker at the Santa Ana hospital in Manila. EDWIN BACASMAS

Close to 100,000 health-care workers are set to get their special risk allowance (SRA) after the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) finally found P888.12 million to cover the benefits provided in the first and already expired Bayanihan law.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said on Saturday that the Department of Health may finally get the special allotment release order (Sar0) for the amount on Monday to cover the special risk allowances of 97,560 health-care workers.

The DBM confirmed in a statement late Friday that two Saros for the allowances were issued: one, amounting to P518.34 million will cover both public and private health workers, while the other, worth P369.78 million, was intended for those in public health facilities.

The DBM said total releases to cover the SRA under Administrative Order No. 42 issued by President Duterte in June already hit P1.2 billion to date.

This latest fund release will cover the SRAs of both public and private health workers who had been exposed to COVID-19 patients during the period Dec. 20 last year up to June 30 this year.