MANILA – A total of PHP91 billion has been released so far for the Public Health Emergency Benefits and Allowances (PHEBA) of all health workers since 2021, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) reported Wednesday.
In a statement, the DBM said it has released to the Department of Health (DOH) PHP12.1 billion for 2021; PHP28 billion for 2022; PHP31.1 billion for 2023; and PHP19.96 billion for 2024.
In a letter to the DOH, the budget department noted that it has already released a total of PHP91.28 billion for the PHEBA, consisting of PHP73.26 billion for the Health Emergency Allowance (HEA)/One Coronavirus disease 2019 or Covid-19 Allowance (OCA), PHP12.90 billion for the Special Risk Allowance (SRA), PHP3.65 billion for Covid-19 Sickness and Death Compensation, and PHP1.4 billion for other benefits, such as meal, accommodation, and transportation allowance.
Based on the DOH report, out of the amount, the agency was able to release PHP76 billion.
The two departments earlier agreed that there is a need for the DOH to urgently finalize the computation of the HEA claims in arrears to enable the DBM to determine if additional funding requirements are necessary despite the cumulatively released PHEBA allocations for our health care and non-health-care workers.
The DBM suggested that the DOH develop HEA mapping that would capture and present all PHEBA claims and payments by region/health facilities for the period covered by the benefit.
The information gathered from the HEA mapping will be used in expediting the final determination of the amount of deficiency to cover the full settlement of arrears, it added.
The DBM, likewise, recommended that the record be made public for transparency.
“The DOH committed to submit the aforementioned HEA mapping with the final amount of computed PHEBA deficiencies not later than March this year, subject to the DBM’s validation based on submitted documents and the amounts reflected in the Health Emergency Allowance Processing System,” the budget department said. (PNA)