Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 24) — Health Secretary Francisco Duque III says the Department of Health might start paying the special risk allowance of some 20,000 health workers on Wednesday, Aug. 25.
At a hearing of the House of Representatives’ health committee on Tuesday, Duque said the Department of Budget and Management will release P311 million to pay the health workers.
“Mayroon po tayong na-identify which we will get, according to DBM Usec. Tina Canda, from the miscellaneous personnel benefit fund. Ilalabas ito, ₱311 million so within the day. Hopefully by [Wednesday], we can start implementing this,” said Duque.
[Translation: We have identified [funding] which, according to DBM Usec. (Undersecretary) Tina Canda, we will get from the miscellaneous personnel benefit fund. The ₱311 million will be released within the day. Hopefully by [Wednesday], we can start implementing this.]
Duque added the DOH has also identified sources of funding for extending the contract of around 20,000 health workers from September to December this year.
He said some ₱1.9 billion will come from President Rodrigo Duterte’s contingency fund.
The DOH needs around ₱3.6 billion to pay the 20,000 health workers it hired in the fourth quarter of the year.
Last week President Duterte ordered the Department of Health to prioritize paying the benefits and allowances of medical frontliners.
His statement came after health workers said they would stage a mass protest the neglect of their plight.
