THE Department of Health (DOH) yesterday advised health care workers (HCWs) who served as medical frontliners during the COVID-19 pandemic that their authorized representatives will be allowed to claim their health emergency allowances if they are unable to do so.
DOH Circular No. 2023-0389 said the HCW “may authorize any representative, provided that the photocopy of valid ID of the authorized representative and original duly executed special power of attorney (SPA) for the authorized person to claim the said benefit are duly submitted.”
The DOH said the worker can also receive the allowance through their personal bank accounts.
If the bank account of the HCW is still active, the allowance, “may be directly credited to the bank account,” the DOH said.
The DOH issued the guidelines as there are cases when eligible HCWs are unable to claim their HEAs personally due to valid reasons, like when the HCW is already working overseas or is medically incapacitated.
Last month, the DOH said around P15.2 billion in allowances have yet to be disbursed, mainly due to issues on documentary requirements required from HCWs.
The DOH said it has already distributed P46.4 billion to all eligible health care workers.
All medical frontliners are entitled to receive P5,000 for every month they served during the period of state of public health emergency.
