Special risk allowance for health workers released, says DBM exec

The P9.02 billion worth of special risk allowance provided for medical workers nationwide was finally released to the Department of Health, but it is expected to be disbursed until June 30, 2021, an official from Department of Budget and Management said Sunday.

In an interview with "Dobol B TV,"  Assistant Secretary Kim Robert de Leon said that the DBM released to the DOH on June 25 the funds, which provides monthly allowance of up to P5,000  for over 300,000 health workers both in private and public hospitals taking care of COVID-19 patients.

He added that the monthly allowance is from December 2020 until June 30, 2021.

"Maaasahan ng health workers na maire-release ng DOH ang SRA hanggang June 30, 2021" (Health workers can expect the release of their allowance until June 30), De Leon said.

Asked if DOH can manage to finish disbursement with only three days left, De Leon said: "They (DOH staff) are starting to process na beginning Friday para masiguro na mga gamit ito definitely by June 30."

(Last Friday, the DOH started to process disbursement to make sure the allowance will definitely be paid out by June 30.)

According to De Leon, money for the SRA are sourced from unused funds from Bayanihan 2 Law or "Bayanihan to Recover as One Act," which is set to expire by June 30.

Delays in SRA

Pressed on the delays in the health workers' allowance, De Leon said the funds were originally allocated in the Bayanihan 2, which expired on December 19, 2020 but was extended to June 30, 2021.

After the extension, De Leon said, it was President Rodrigo Duterte's Administrative Order No. 42 issued on June 1 that became the basis of DBM to prolong the validity of the SRA.

By June 2, DBM then sent its signed circular for SRA to DOH for its approval.

Subsequently, the DBM finally received from DOH the request on the amount needed for the allowance of health workers last June 23.

"Noong June 23 natanggap na namin officially sa DOH ang karampatang request dahil sila magsasabi ng kabuuang halagang kakailanganin. Noong June 25 nang umaga narelease natin sa DOH," De Leon said.

(On June 23, we received from the DOH the request because they will be the one who will tell us the amount needed. On June 25, we released that amount.)

Several health workers started a protest action last week, airing their concerns on unspent Bayanihan 2 funds, even as they have yet to receive their meals, accommodation, and transportation allowance. —LBG, GMA News