Over P30 billion in allowances for health workers released

THE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said it released P30.11 billion last year for the emergency allowance claims of healthcare and other workers entitled to such funds.

“As long as your documents are complete and we have available funding from our excess revenue collections, we will make sure that we can quickly release the budget for these claims,” DBM Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman said in a statement.

The DBM said that the amount released follows the P24.19 billion released to the Department of Health in 2022 for the same purpose.

This year, P18.96 billion has been allocated under the General Appropriations Act to cover the payment of health emergency allowance claims of eligible healthcare and other workers.

“This leaves a balance of P14.88 billion out of the P88.14 billion required for the implementation of the program,” the DBM said.

“We will endeavor to release the balance, as well as the unfunded health emergency allowance claims of roughly P14 billion to fulfill the commitment of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.,” Ms. Pangandaman added.

The DBM also said it will ensure that such workers “will be provided with the benefits and allowances entitled to them.” — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson