The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has announced on Wednesday that the agency has taken its step forward to settle the unpaid special risk allowance (SRA) for healthcare workers.
“The amount under Bayanihan 2 has actually been reverted (to the Treasury) but we were able to finance the SRA for the 20,000 health care workers whose claims have not been paid under the Bayanihan 2 law and we released it today,” said DBM Officer-in-charge (DBM-OIC) Tina Rose Marie Canda in a televised briefing.
The acting budget secretary further clarified that the budget will not be downloaded by their agency but the final release of the documents will soon be finished and submitted to the Department of Health (DOH) within the day.
According to Canda, the budget amounting to P311 million for 200,000 health workers came from the miscellaneous personnel benefits and unprogrammed appropriation cash back up funds and is set to be downloaded by the health agency starting in the afternoon of August 25.
“Iyong paglabas ng pondo, ini-expect namin na ngayon, puwede na naming matapos ‘yong final release documents at matatanggap na ng DOH sa araw na ‘to. So, it will give them time to distribute the amount sa mga health care workers (We expect the release of the fund today. We can finish it and the DOH can receive it today. It will give them time to distribute the amount to the health care workers),” Canda stated.
“Iyong pagbigay ng mga benepisyo na ‘yan, hindi po ‘yan sa amin. Nililinaw ko lang na hindi DBM ang magda–download n’yan para sa mga health care workers (Those provision of benefits will not be distributed by our department. I would like to clarify that it is not DBM who is responsible in downloading the fund for the healthcare work,” she added.
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Following the deadline of President Rodrigo Duterte to provide health workers their expected benefits within 10 days, the DBM started to immediately arrange the payment, ensuring that no more attempt of departure by health workers would be made amid the scarce of medical staffs.
The President’s order came after group clamors and mass resignation threats among medical workers have reached the palace.