The Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday announced that a total of PHP 76.1 billion health emergency allowance (HEA) has been disbursed to the health workers who served during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a press release, the DOH said the amount covers July 1, 2021, to July 20, 2023, or when the country was under a state of emergency due to the coronavirus pandemic.
It added that PHP 19.9 billion has been allotted for HEA under the programmed appropriation for this year, of which 99 percent, or P19.7 billion was distributed to eligible health facilities.
Aside from P73.26 billion in emergency allowances, the amount also covers P12.90 billion for Special Risk Allowance or SRA, P3.65 billion for COVID-19 Sickness and Death Compensation, and P1.4 billion for other benefits, such as meal, accommodation, and transportation allowance, it said.
"The DOH still requires an estimated P27 billion to pay for arrears filed by health facilities," the department added.
Additional funds can be released only after the signing of memorandums of agreement as well as liquidation by concerned local government units and private hospitals of HEA funds that had been paid.
"The Department has a list of these hospitals and health facilities with outstanding liquidation requirements," it said.
The grant of HEA to eligible healthcare workers is provided under the Public Health Emergency Benefits and Allowance for Health Care Workers Act.
Under the law, healthcare workers are entitled to HEAs for every month of service while the country is under a state of public health emergency.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. lifted the state of emergency for COVID-19 on July 21, 2023.
