The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said the Department of Health (DOH) is yet to submit required documents necessary for the immediate processing of request for the release the One Covid-19 allowance (OCA) for health-care workers (HCWs).
In a news statement issued on Thursday, the DBM explained that since early June this year, it has repeatedly been asking DOH to submit a number of documents but the health department was only able to “substantiate documents that are related to unpaid Covid-19 sickness and death claims for 2020 and 2021 worth P570 million,” prompting them to release the said amount in August.
The DBM recalled that they sent a letter to DOH on June 8, requesting the latter to address the lack in the documentary requirements they submitted for their P63 billion budgetary request for the Covid-19 allowance of HCWs.
“Essentially, we requested them to substantiate their request by sending us the budget breakdown, segregation, actual names of claimants, and other relevant documents for us to clearly determine the universe of eligible beneficiaries. Subsequent meetings were held between the departments relative to the data requirement until the request was finally returned by DBM, on June 29, reiterating the required data from the DOH,” it said.
“As long as DOH can address the deficiencies in the documentary requirements, DBM will immediately process the request to release funds, based on available budget,” it added.
The DBM issued the statement after DOH Officer in Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said they are “still trying to negotiate” with the budget department regarding the release of funds for the allowances of HCWs.
“We will be informing the public, and we would like to inform the PGH [Philippine General Hospital] and other hospitals wala po tayong pinipiling ospital pagmayroon tayong budget sa DOH kung ano po yung mabibigyan natin atin pong nire-release ’yan, nagkataon lang po ngayon we have long been requesting for this budget for DBM and up until now we had not been granted for the release of this funds kaya wala pa rin po kaming maibigay sa inyo ngayon,” Vergeire said.
In February this year, the DBM released P7.92 billion to DOH for the OCA of more than half a million HCWs.
The DOH’s implementation of OCA starting this year followed President Duterte’s pronouncement that HCWs should be given higher Special Risk Allowance.
Given the implementation of a “more inclusive and responsive” OCA, the DOH said benefits previously enjoyed by a limited number of HCWs—Active Hazard Duty Pay for Public Health Workers; Meals, Accommodation and Transportation Allowance; and the Special Risk Allowance, for HCWs directly catering or exposed to Covid-19 patients—shall be discontinued.
However, the Filipino Nurses United (FNU) and the Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) earlier opposed the implementation of the OCA program.
The FNU earlier said that implementing a singular allowance for HCWs amid the pandemic is an “ill conceived and a heartless move” because this will effectively reduce the present package of monetary benefits.
Under OCA, each HCW and non-HCW shall receive Covid-19 benefits depending on their level of Covid-19 exposure as prescribed under DOH Administrative Order No. 2022-0001.
Specifically, HCWs who are identified to be at high risk shall receive P9,000 a month while those who have been determined to be at medium and low risk are entitled to a monthly benefit of P6,000 and P3,000, respectively. The benefit shall be given in full amount provided that the health professional physically reports for work for at least 96 hours per month, otherwise the benefit shall be pro-rated.
Image credits: Official Gazette