DOH: P76.1B COVID-19 allowance for health workers released

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) said Tuesday it has released a total of P76.1 billion for the payment of the health emergency allowance (HEA) for frontline health workers during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

These funds cover 8,549,207 claims from July 1, 2021 to July 20, 2023. 

The General Appropriations Act allocated P19.9 billion for HEA under programmed appropriations for fiscal year 2024. The DOH said it has distributed nearly all of these funds, releasing 19.7 billion to eligible health facilities. 

The agency, however, still needs around P27 billion to pay for arrears filed by the health facilities. 

The payment of HEA is provided for under the Public Health Emergency Benefits and Allowances for Health Care Workers Act. 

Under the law, health workers are entitled to receive HEA for every month of service while the country is under a state of public health emergency. 

The amount varies based on the risk level of their employment: P3,000 for low-risk areas, P6,000 for medium-risk areas, and P9,000 for high-risk areas. 

The law requires the DOH to have memorandums of agreement (MOAs) and to wait for full liquidation of previously released HEA funds before disbursing additional funds. 

“We are ready to release the funds as soon as the concerned private and LGU hospitals will comply with the law that requires liquidation,” the DOH said. — Gaea Katreena Cabico