Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 5) — The Department of Health (DOH) said it is working on gradually releasing the remaining ₱62.9 billion COVID-19 health emergency allowance (HEA) within three years, as about 2 million healthcare workers have yet to be paid.
“For 2021, (20)22 and (20)23 ay ₱62.9 billion pa (ang unpaid allowances),” Health Secretary Ted Herbosa said Tuesday during the Commission on Appointments’ deliberation on his designation as Health secretary.
[Translation: Covering the years 2021, 2022 and 2023, the unpaid allowances amount to ₱62.9 billion.]
He added the DOH allotted ₱22 billion for the HEAs in its 2024 National Expenditure Program.
In a House budget hearing in November, DOH Undersecretary Gloria Balboa said the agency has so far paid over ₱50 billion worth of HEAs.
Under the Public Health Emergency Benefits and Allowance for Health Care Workers Act passed in April 2022, healthcare workers were entitled to benefits worth ₱3,000 to ₱9,000 for every month of service while the country was under a state of public health emergency due to COVID-19.
