THE DEPARTMENT of Budget and Management (DBM) on Wednesday said it has released P91.283 billion in emergency benefits and allowances for healthcare workers since 2021.
The amount is under the Public Health Emergency Benefits and Allowances (PHEBA) program for healthcare workers.
“In a letter to the DoH (Department of Health), the DBM noted that it has already released a total of P91.283 billion for PHEBA,” DBM said in a statement.
This includes some P73.26 billion for Health Emergency Allowance (HEA)/One COVID-19 Allowance (OCA), P12.9 billion for Special Risk Allowance (SRA), P3.65 billion for COVID-19 Sickness and Death Compensation, and P1.4 billion for other benefits, such as meal, accommodation, and transportation allowance, it added.
Broken down by year, the DBM released P12.1 billion in 2021, P28 billion in 2022, P31.1 billion in 2023, and P19.962 billion for 2024.
Earlier this year, the DBM asked the DoH to finalize its mapping of the HEA, which would outline all PHEBA claims and payments per region and health facility.
“The information gathered from the HEA mapping shall be used in expediting final determination of the amount of deficiency to cover the full settlement of arrears,” the DBM said.
In a March 13 letter addressed to Budget Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman, Health Undersecretary Ma. Carolina Vidal-Taiño said the agency has yet to complete its HEA mapping.
She added that the data in the mapping is not yet final. “This is due to the ongoing validation process of the submitted COVID-19 Risk Exposure Classification (CREC) Reports by health facilities, as well as the processing and release of sub-allotted funds amounting to P19.79 billion specific for HEA grant,” she said. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz
