The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has announced it will release by Friday, July 5, around P27 billion to settle unpaid Health Emergency Allowance (HEA) for health workers.
In a statement, DBM Secretary Amenah Pangandaman confirmed the release as requested by the Department of Health (DOH) to pay the P27.453 billion the government owned the health workers.
“As compliance with the directive of our beloved President Bongbong Marcos, we will release the extra P27 billion requested by the Department of Health for settling the unpaid claims of our healthcare workers by Friday, July 5, 2024,” Pangandaman stated.
“This is a promise fulfilled. Even if the DOH requested this for 2025, the DBM made an effort to fulfil it earlier because our healthcare workers deserve it,” she added.
The allowance would cover the remaining 5,039,926 validated unpaid HEA claims and 4,283 COVID-19 sickness and death compensation claims by eligible healthcare and non-healthcare workers.
In an earlier Senate hearing, the DOH proposed including the same amount in the 2025 National Expenditure Program.