The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has approved the release of P1.04 billion to the Department of Health (DOH) to cover the special risk allowance (SRA) of eligible public and private health workers involved in the COVID-19 response.
In a statement yesterday, the DBM said it approved the release of a Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) for the said amount last October 3, and this will cover the unpaid COVID-19 SRA claims of 55,211 health workers, who shall receive a grant amounting to P5,000 for every month they have served during the period of state of national emergency.
The DOH said health care workers are set to receive their SRAs by next week, according to Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire.
But Vergeire said the DOH is still exerting efforts to secure a budget for the health emergency allowance (HEA), or previously known as One COVID Allowance (OCA).
She said the budget requested for HEA amounts to P11.5 billion, which is slated to benefit some 1.6 million healthcare workers.
“As long as we get the funds, we will be providing it to them. We are doing all efforts. We have presented this to the President. We have presented this to the Senate, to Congress so that we can get that additional budget for the much needed allowance of our health care workers,” said Vergeire.
Qualified health workers refer to medical, allied medical and other personnel assigned in hospitals and health care facilities, and who are directly catering to or in contact with COVID-19 patients, persons under investigation or persons under monitoring.As of date, the total released allotment for SRA amounts to P11.857 billion.
The release of funding for COVID-19 SRA is pursuant to Republic Act (RA) No. 11494, known as the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act, which states the provision of allowances and benefits to all public and private health workers catering to or in contact with COVID-19 patients.
Meanwhile, Administrative Order (AO) No. 36 or Authorizing the grant of COVID-19 SRA to health workers directly catering to or in contact with COVID-19 patients during the state of national emergency was issued on Nov. 20, 2020. The grant of the SRA was further extended to June 30, 2021, under AO 42.
To further continue the benefit being provided to all public and private health workers, RA 11712 — An Act Granting Mandatory Continuing Benefits and Allowances to Public and Private Health Care Workers During the Covid-19 Pandemic and Other Future Public Health Emergencies, and Appropriating Funds Therefor — was passed into law on April 27, 2022, during the period of public health emergency commencing from July 1, 2021. Under this law, the SRA was effectively replaced by Health Emergency Allowance, with amounts provided based on risk levels.
Risk exposure categorization as defined in the law, and their corresponding levels of allowances, are as follows: those deployed in “low risk areas” shall be given at least P3,000, those deployed in “medium risk areas” shall be given at least P6,000 and those deployed in “high risk areas” shall be given at least P9,000.
“Rest assured that we will continue to closely coordinate with the DOH so that our health care workers get the allowances and benefits they deserve,” said Amenah Pangandaman, budget secretary. – With Gerard Naval
