The Department of Health (DOH) has yet to release billions of pesos worth of Health Emergency Allowances (HEA) for health workers despite President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s directive to distribute the funds immediately.
In a press conference, Health Undersecretary Eric Tayag blamed slow and incomplete processing of documentary requirements for the delays.
“The HEAs that will be released will only be up to the period wherein the President lifted the public health emergency on COVID-19,” Tayag clarified.
According to him, the DOH has released P46.4 billion worth of funds to health workers, but have yet to distribute P15.2 billion for the HEAs due to processing delays.
“We have already talked to the union of private hospitals wherein we explained the situation. We also found out that some of them have already received at least five months worth of their HEAs,” he added.
The United Private Hospital Unions of the Philippines (UPHUP) said 112 private hospitals have yet to receive their allowances since their latest survey, with some having only partially received the due funds.
“We posted the list of hospitals because we want to be heard by the DOH and [President Marcos] to distribute the funds without further delay. The workers are already exhausted and there are those who are truly in need of funds, especially that classes have begun and they have families to feed,” UPHUP spokesman Ronald Richie Ignacio said in an interview.
There are at least 85 private hospitals who have yet to receive their emergency funds, according to the recent survey by the UPHUP, with Region IV-A (CALABARZON) topping the list at 19 hospitals who have not receive their HEAs in full or partially.
“The health workers have been waiting to receive their allowances since 2021,” Ignacio added.
The UPHUP has expressed willingness to meet with the DOH in order to resolve the allowance controversy.