MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health on Tuesday reported it has disbursed P237.28 million worth of special risk allowance to medical personnel, amid groups' continued clamor for their benefits' release.
That figure amounts to 76.29% of the P311 million that the Department of Budget and Management released last week to DOH.
"We have downloaded this to our regional offices last August 27," Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire told a briefing in Filipino.
She said the P237.28 million were already distributed to local governments as well as to private hospitals.
Vergeire added some P74.5 million worth of checks are also now ready for distribution to LGUs and medical facilities.
The P311 million in total is intended for the SRA of some 20,208 health workers. The health official in the briefing did not mention how many have so far received the said benefit.
Last week, President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the budget and health departments to distribute the SRA within 10 days.
It came as medical workers' groups threatened protests and mass resignations, amid the country's worsening pandemic picture.
Authorities on August 30 reported the Philippines' highest daily rise of infections yet at 22,366. DOH, taking into account the more transmissible Delta variant, said the public should brace for higher new cases in the coming days.
On National Heroes' Day, health workers from various hospitals held a break time protest for the release of their SRA. A group has said the government's recognition of COVID-19 frontliners as "modern day" heroes would only be a mere publicity stunt if it fails to give their benefits and improve their working conditions.
LOOK: Health workers from National Kidney Transplant Institute in Quezon City stage a break time protest calling for the immediate release of their Special Risk Allowance, as well as urging Health Secretary Francisco Duque III to resign.
— Philstar.com (@PhilstarNews) August 30, 2021
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Vergeire said they have requested for a second batch of funds from the DBM. Last week, she told reporters this is for the SRA of 17,000 more heath workers.
The official, however, no longer said how much the DOH is seeking anew from the DBM.