The Department of Budget and Management is set to release the final tranche of the unpaid COVID-19 Health Emergency Allowance (HEA) for health workers today, according to Health Secretary Ted Herbosa.
Herbosa mentioned that once the funds are released, they will be downloaded to the Department of Health (DOH) before being transferred to the regional offices. He noted that the regional offices are aware of the claimants from private and local hospitals.
The release of the P27 billion by the DBM is the last tranche to settle all unpaid HEA claims of health workers, which Herbosa described as “very good news for our healthcare workers.” He explained that each hospital will consolidate worker claims into low, medium, and high-risk categories, with payment amounts varying based on where they work.
Herbosa estimated that payments should be distributed to healthcare workers within a month. Meanwhile, the Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) questioned the timing of the release of funds, especially with the president’s upcoming State of the Nation Address on July 22.
Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman mentioned that the release of funds for the remaining unpaid claims of the HEA allowance was made ahead of the DOH’s request for funds for 2025. According to DBM data, a total of P91 billion has been released to the DOH for the Public Health Emergency Benefits and Allowances (PHEBA), with P73 billion specifically allocated for HEA.
