APPALLED by statements over the non-inclusion of funds to defray the cost of special risk allowances of medical workers at the University of the Philippines – Philippine General Hospital, the Department of Budget and Management said that allotments for that purpose should be shouldered by the state university.
Citing its funding commitments to the country’s hospitals and medical facilities, DBM said it has released funds to augment the budget of the UP-PGH.
In an emailed statement on Saturday, the DBM said they “wish to inform the Filipino public that it remains true to its commitment to ensure availability of financial resources to support the operations of the country’s health facilities.”
It also affirmed its commitment in the “fight against the Coronavirus Diseases 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.”
Interestingly, DBM denied reports that they disapproved the UP-PGH’s request to release funds to Special Risk Allowance (SRA) and hazard pay of the state hospital’s workers despite an order issued by no less than President Rodrigo Duterte who authorized the release of hazard duty pay and special risk allowance to health workers who are on the frontlines in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the statement, the DBM said that last May, a Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) amounting to P400 million was released to augment the operational budget of the UP-PGH under the Republic Act (RA) No. 11469 or Bayanihan to Heal as One Act (Bayanihan 1), it said.
As of November 17, 2020, it said the obligations made from the said release stand at only P176.982 million, “leaving an unobligated balance of P223.018 million for use of the UP-PGH.”
“[In] regard to the payment of the SRA for frontline health workers as authorized under Bayanihan 1, it is clarified that the letter dated November 11, 2020 addressed to the UP President was not a disapproval letter,” the DBM pointed out.
“Instead, the letter affirmed that 1,918 frontline health workers of the UP-PGH are entitled to the SRA under Bayanihan 1 with a total funding requirement of P16.478-million,” it said.
“In the same letter, it was emphasized that the payment of the SRA may be accommodated within available Personnel Services (PS) allotments of the UP System, which stands at P667.553 million based on its June 30, 2020 report and net of estimated requirements until the end of the year,” the DBM said.
“Since the UP-PGH is under the UP System, it has more than enough PS allotments to cover its SRA requirements,” it noted, adding, “Should there be any deficiency in allotments to cover the payment of the SRA under Bayanihan 1, the DBM is committed to release the necessary funds in accordance with AO No. 28.”
As to the funding requirements for the SRA and the COVID-19 Active Hazard Duty Pay (AHDP) under RA No. 11494 or the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act (Bayanihan 2), the DBM said it has already released the necessary funding to the Department of Health (DOH), which will manage the release and payment to the corresponding hospitals and medical facilities including the UP-PGH as early as October 27, 2020.
DBM-DOH Joint Circulars No. 1 and 2 were issued last November 25, 2020, providing the guidelines on the grant of the COVID-19 AHDP and SRA, respectively, consistent with Administrative Order Nos. 35 and 36 issued by President Duterte last November 16, 2020.
“The DBM wishes to clarify that the amount of P865.506 million under the UP-PGH Budget is classified under the ‘For Later Release’ part of the FY 2020 General Appropriations Act and the DBM has recommended for its release to the Office of the President (OP) through a Memorandum dated June 11, 2020,” it said.