Health worker group cautiously welcomes unsettled pandemic allowance

Metro Manila, Philippines – A health worker group cautiously welcomed on Friday, July 5, the government’s release of unsettled arrears to compensate for their services at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ronald Ignacio, United Private Hospitals Unions of the Philippines spokesperson and a private hospital nurse, said health workers deserve to receive unpaid benefits that would help in their expenses.

“We always welcome the money that came from sa pinagpawisan namin [our hardships] during the pandemic,” Ignacio told Newswatch Plus.

He said the government still owes him P9,000 for working during the pandemic, adding that other health workers even have higher claims. Ignacio himself was a COVID-19 patient in 2020.

He noted, however, the timing of the release ahead of President Bongbong Marcos’s third State of the Nation Address (SONA).

“Meron po kaming reservations about that du’n sa pagre-release nga po baka lip service na naman po ito coming from these government agencies as well as in preparation nga po du’n sa SONA para ma-i-report ng pangulo sa kanyang SONA na gaganapin sa July 22,” he said.

[Translation: We have reservations in the release as it may be another lip service from government agencies as well as preparations for the SONA. So, the president has something to report in his SONA on July 22.]

‘Promise fulfilled’

The Department of Budget and Management has released P27 billion to settle all unpaid health emergency allowance (HEA) of health care professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Department of Health (DOH) initially proposed the amount to be included in its 2025 budget.

“This is a promise fulfilled. Kahit sa 2025 pa ito hinihiling ng DOH, sinikap po ng DBM na mas maaga itong tuparin, dahil deserve po ito ng ating mga manggagawa sa health sector,” Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said in a statement.

[Translation: Although the DOH asked for the amount for 2025, the DBM aimed to fulfill it immediately because our workers in the health sector deserve it.]

The DOH assured health workers that it would allocate the budget to their centers for health development (CHD) right away, once the DBM has transferred the money to them.

“The CHD will then facilitate the disbursement of HEA to the local government units and Private Health Facilities under their jurisdiction, subject to requirements such as liquidations from previous fund transfers and memorandum of agreement. The LGUs (local government units) and private hospitals will be in charge of finally giving the cash payment to the health workers,” DOH spokesperson Albert Domingo explained.

‘Unfulfilled’ pledge

Ignacio said he hopes the unpaid claims would be fully settled so that workers can focus on other pending issues.

He said health workers are counting on the president to fulfill his campaign promises.

“Pinanghawakan po namin ‘yung mga salita po ninyong ‘yun na magkakaroon ng pagbabago sa pamumuhay, working conditions, at pasahod po ng mga nurses particularly. Unfortunately, Sir PBBM (initials of the president), hindi pa po namin nakikitaan ng katuparan po ‘yung pangakong ‘yun,” Ignacio lamented.

[Translation: We are holding onto your words that there will be changes in our way of living, working conditions, and the salary of nurses, particularly. Unfortunately, we have not seen the fulfillment of that promise.]