Duque to look into unreleased special risk allowance for healthcare workers

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Friday said he will look into reports that some healthcare workers have not yet received their special risk allowance (SRA) even for the year 2020.

Interviewed on Unang Balita, Duque said to his knowledge, the funds for SRA for 2020 have already been released to DOH regional offices.

“Ang alam ko kasi naibaba na so aalamin ko kung ang mga DOH regional offices — 17 regional offices kasi yan and libong mga ospital — so aalamin ko kung anu-ano itong ospital na 'to,” he said.

(As far as I know the funds were already released, so I will find out if DOH regional offices — because there are 17 regional offices and thousands of hospital — so I will find out these hospitals.)

Duque said DOH regional offices are the ones that will distribute the allowances to hospitals.

Ang Probinsyano Party-list Representative Alfred Delos Santos is seeking an investigation into the supposed "administrative impediments" that prevented the timely release of the SRA.

In filing House Resolution 2102, Delos Santos said there have been complaints of delayed releases of the allowance as well as discrepancies in the actual amounts being given to the healthcare workers.

In June, the Department of Budget and Management released P9.02 billion for the granting of SRAs to health workers, covering the period of December 20, 2020 to June 30, 2021.  —KBK, GMA News