P6.4B funds for healthcare workers reverted to treasury, DBM says

Around P6.4 billion fund of the Department of Health for the allowances of healthcare workers handling COVID-19 patients has been reverted to the national treasury.

This was disclosed during the continuation of the House committee on public accounts inquiry into the utilization of COVID-19 funds by the Department of Health on Friday.

Marikina City Representative Stella Quimbo asked the Department of Budget and Management how much of the budget remains to finance the allowances of healthcare workers. Quimbo had said the allotted fund for the benefits and allowances was P13.5 billion, as provided under Bayanihan 2.

DBM officer-in-charge Tina Rose Canda said no amount was left because the money was already reverted.

"Para sa allowances ho ng healthcare workers na out of the Bayanihan 2, wala na po kasi reverted na 'yun," Canda said.

"Doon sa totality ng Bayanihan 2, when that expired...  based doon sa records na nasa amin... I don't know if that has changed but this is officially transmitted to us based on their unified reports, it's P6.4 billion. At the expiration, it was P6.4 billion. Lahat-lahat at the expiration, ang hindi nila nagamit is P6.4 billion," she explained.

Quimbo asked Canda if the amount could still be utilized for the allowances.

Canda responded “an act of Congress” or a new law is needed to utilize the said amount.

"We need a new law. It's an act of Congress. Ganito po 'yun, it's either of two things. One is a specific law from Congress and second is DOH will have to generate an amount to cover the difference between the 340 and 500... 'yun po ang bottomline noon," Canda said.

During Tuesday's hearing, Quimbo lamented that out of 526,547 names of healthcare workers submitted by DOH, only a total of 384,159 received allowance and benefits as provided by Bayanihan 2.

Several groups of health workers from both government hospitals and the private institutions have been complaining of the non-release of their special risk allowance and the removal of their other benefits such as meal and transportation allowance even as they continue to battle the COVID-19 pandemic.

Some have threatened to go on mass protest over the supposed neglect of the Philippine government on the plight of healthcare workers.—AOL, GMA News