HEALTH Secretary Francisco Duque III on Wednesday night asked President Duterte to issue an administrative order that would allow the distribution of the allowances for meals, accommodation, and transportation (MAT) of health workers from September to December last year.
Duque, in his report to the President, said a copy of the draft administrative order has been submitted to Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea for Duterte’s approval.
He said the presidential issuance is necessary because the law that authorized the release of the financial incentives — the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act (Bayanihan 2) — already expired on June 2021.
Duque said at least P2.51 billion is still needed for the P2,000 per month MAT allowances of some 423,000 health workers from September 15 to December 19, 2020.
He said the budget may be sourced from the P1.23 billion savings of the Department of Health and the P1.1 billion contingency fund of the Office of the President.
