The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) is urging the Department of Health (DOH) to expedite the disbursement of Public Health Emergency Benefits and Allowances (PHEBA) for healthcare workers amounting to P91.28 billion.
“Our good news is, the national government, in total, has released P91.283 billion for our health emergency allowances, benefits and compensation. This started in 2021, when we had pandemic, then last year, our budget for 2024, we also allocated P19 billion for this,” Budget Secretary Mina F. Pangandaman said.
To note, the released fund for PHEBA included some P73.26 billion for Health Emergency Allowance (HEA)/One COVID-19 Allowance (OCA), P12.90 billion for Special Risk Allowance (SRA), P3.65 billion for COVID-19 Sickness and Death Compensation, andP1.47 billion for other benefits, such as meal, accommodation, and transportation allowance.
Pangandaman also underscored that the government does not withhold the release of the budget intended for healthcare workers’ benefits and allowances.
“You know, especially now in the administration of President Bongbong Marcos, my order is to release the budget. We have no reason to hold the budget because we want it to reach our countrymen faster. So, day 1, day 1 of the year, I released the funds to the Departments,” she added.
Pangandaman also reiterated her request for DOH to finalize its HEA mapping.
“We have something called HEA mapping. I hope we can see what was given and then what was not given, so that it will be easier to see what our balance will be,” she added. ‘
Meanwhile, she assured that in case the DOH’s budget becomes insufficient to cover all unpaid HEA claims, the DBM shall help in securing fund sources, such as the use of unprogrammed appropriations under the 2024 national budget, which will be triggered for release upon the generation of additional revenues, and the allocation of needed funds for the same purpose in the proposed 2025 national budget.
“We promise, because this is the order of our President, that if there is a shortage, we have a source, the unprogrammed (appropriations). If that is also lacking, anyway, we’re doing the 2025 budget preparations now. If we get the exact amount, hopefully we can put it all in the NEP—National Expenditure Program—the President’s Budget for 2025,” she added.