Where's fund for SRA in 2022 budget? Duque says it's in Bayanihan 3

Marikina City Representative Stella Quimbo on Wednesday quizzed the Department of Health (DOH) if an amount for the benefits and allowances of healthcare workers are included in the proposed 2022 budget of the agency.

"Nasama po ba 'yan sa NEP 2022 kasi napansin ko po na may P17 billion na naka-allot for the HRH or Human Resources for Health pero wala po doon 'yung salitang special risk allowance or meals and transportation allowance, etc. na alam naman po natin na 'yan ang talagang kailangan na kailangan ibigay sa frontliners sa ngayon," Quimbo asked during the House committee on health briefing.

(Was it included in the National Expenditure Program for 2022 because I noticed that there's an allotment of P17 billion for Human Resources for Health but the special risk allowance or meals and transportation allowance were not indicated. We all know that we need to provide these to our health workers.)

Health Secretary Francisco Duque disclosed that the additional budget to provide the benefits of medical frontliners are incorporated under the proposed Bayanihan 3 bill.

"The additional budgetary support for the benefits is lodged in the Bayanihan 3 bill and that is what has been submitted," Duque said.

In response, Quimbo told the Health chief that the Bayanihan 3 bill remains "hanging in the balance."

"Doon po sa sinabi ni Secretary Duque, unfortunately po 'yung Bayanihan 3 ay hanging in the balance. 'Yan po ay aprubado ng Kongreso pero hindi pa po tinetake-up ng Senado. Hindi tayo sure kung 'yan ay magiging batas," Quimbo said.

(Unfortunately, Bayanihan 3 is hanging in the balance. It's approved by the Congress but it has not been taken up by the Senate. We are not sure if this will be passed into law.)

A total of P242.22 billion is being proposed for the DOH in fiscal year 2022. A huge chunk of this amount, worth P78.83 billion, is allotted for COVID-19 initiatives and programs related to the Universal Health Care law.

Health Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega previously said they are in need of funds from the Bayanihan 3 measure for the benefits, compensation as well as equipment of health workers.

Bayanihan 3 was passed by the House of Representatives on third and final reading last June. The measure seeks to provide P401 billion worth of interventions to help the country recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Several groups of health workers from both government hospitals and the private institutions had complained about 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.

Health workers have staged protests over these unreleased benefits. They demanded the ouster of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and President Rodrigo Duterte.—LDF, GMA News