The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said it will immediately process the request to release funds for health workers’ COVID-19 response allowance, as long as the Department of Health (DOH) is able to comply with the necessary documentary requirements.
The DBM made this statement yesterday after the agency was sought for comment by the media regarding the recent statement of DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire at a press briefing requesting the DBM to release funds for their One COVID allowance.
“As long as DOH can address the deficiencies in the documentary requirements, DBM will immediately process the request to release funds, based on available budget,” the DBM said.
The DBM said it released P7.9 billion last February to the DOH to cover the One COVID allowance of both health care workers (HCWs) and non-HCWs.
On May 26, they requested again for the release of P63 billion, and the DBM sent a response to them on June 8 requesting them to address the deficiencies on the documentary requirements they submitted.
“Essentially, we requested them to substantiate their request by sending us the budget breakdown, segregation, actual names of claimants and other relevant documents for us to clearly determine the universe of eligible beneficiaries,” the DBM said.
The budget agency said subsequent meetings were held between the departments relative to the data requirement until the request was finally returned by DBM on June 29, reiterating the required data from the DOH.
“DOH replied to us on July 15, but they were only able to address and substantiate documents that are related to unpaid COVID-19 sickness and death claims for fiscal year 2020 and 2021 worth P570 million, which enabled us to release the same amount in August,” the DBM said.
Vergeire earlier said the DOH has “long been requesting for this budget for DBM” and “up until now (they) had not been granted for the release of this funds.”
