Senator Bong Go asked fellow legislators during the plenary deliberation for the budget of the Department of Health (DOH) to include in its allocation an additional P1.4 Billion to finally fully pay the remaining unpaid health emergency allowance (HEA) of health workers who served during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Go, as one of the authors and co-sponsors of Republic Act 11712, or the Public Health Emergency Benefits and Allowances for Health Care Workers Act, previously presided over numerous Senate Health Committee hearings, where he asked the DOH and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to find ways to settle the pending HEA due to health workers for services rendered during the pandemic.
“Through our hearings in the Committee on Health, we were able to press DOH and the DBM to release funding for the HEA of our healthcare workers who served during the pandemic. Around P27 billion was released by the DBM to the DOH last year. At para sa taong ito, nag-release naman ng P6.7 billion para sa appeals o mga unpaid HEA,” the veteran legislator said.
“Ang final amount, ayon sa DOH, ay P8.1 billion, kaya may balanse pa na P1.4 billion.”
The seasoned lawmaker, however, mentioned the remaining balance of P1.4 billion: “Ang final amount, ayon sa DOH, ay P8.1 billion, kaya may balanse pa na P1.4 billion.”
The senator emphasized that addressing these unpaid allowances should take precedence over other programs, as they compensate healthcare workers for services they have already rendered.
“Services rendered po ito.”
“Services rendered po ito. Pinagpawisan po ito ng ating mga health workers. Pinaghirapan nila,” Go, who consistently pursued the payment of HEA, explained.
The HEA, mandated under RA 11712 or the Public Health Emergency Benefits and Allowances for Health Care Workers Act, provides financial compensation to healthcare workers in both public and private sectors who served during a public health emergency, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
He added that the HEA is a small amount compared to the sacrifices and services of our healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Maliit na halaga ito kumpara sa sakripisyo at serbisyo ng ating mga healthcare workers during the pandemic. Tinutukan natin ito noong nakaraang Kongreso at in fact, nagkaroon tayo ng hearings para kalampagin ang DOH at DBM,” Go concluded.
