The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) on Monday said it has released P30.11 billion for the payment of health emergency allowance (HEA) claims of the country’s healthcare and non-healthcare workers in 2023.
Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said the agency will continue to ensure that the country’s healthcare and non-healthcare workers will receive their due benefits and allowances as provided by law.
“Part of the commitment of President Bongbong Marcos is to continuously provide financial support to our healthcare and non-healthcare workers. They deserve all our care and support because when we were the ones who needed them, they risked their lives and safety just to save and care for us,” Pangandaman said.
“As long as the document is complete and we have funds available from our excess revenue collections, we will make sure that the budget for HEA claims is released quickly,” she added.
The P30.11 billion released last year was on top of the P24.19 billion allotment for the Department of Health for the same purpose in 2022 For 2024, a total of P18.96 billion has been allocated under the General Appropriations Act to cover the payment of HEA claims of eligible public and private healthcare and non-healthcare workers. The fund was made available effective last Jan. 1st.
This leaves a balance of P14.88 billion out of the P88.14 billion earmarked for the implementation of the program.
“We will endeavor to release the balance, as well as the unfunded HEA claims of roughly P14 billion to fulfil the commitment of President Bongbong Marcos in his SONA,” Pangandaman said.