DBM: Health workers to receive SRA not later than June 30

Public and private healthcare workers directly in contact with COVID-19 patients will get their Special Risk Allowance (SRA) not later than June 30, 2021, according to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM). 

In a statement over the weekend, DBM said that it has already released the Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) and the Notice of Cash Allocation (NCA) amounting to P9.02-billion to the Department of Health (DOH) to cover the payment of SRA.

The said funds cover the payment of the SRA not exceeding P5,000.00 per month from December 20, 2020 to June 30, 2021, pursuant to Administrative Order No. 42, s. 2021, dated June 01, 2021, as implemented thru DBM-DOH Joint Circular No.1 dated June 16, 2021. 

President Rodrigo Duterte signed the AO 42 “to recognize the heroic and invaluable contribution of our health workers throughout the country, who bravely and unselfishly risk their lives and health by being at the forefront of national efforts to respond to the pandemic.” 

“National government agencies, government-owned or –controlled corporations, and local government units are hereby authorized to further grant the Covid-19 SRA authorized under AO No. 36…” the AO read. 

Under the amended AO, the grant of the Covid-19 SRA shall be pro-rated based on the number of days that the frontline health workers physically report for work in a month, as certified by the head of the hospital, laboratory, or medical and quarantine facility, or his/her authorized representatives, reckoned from Sept. 15, 2020 until June 30, 2021. 

All claims for the payment of the SRA to public and private health workers shall be validated by the Department of Health. 

The amounts required for the implementation of this order shall be sourced from the PHP13.5 billion appropriated under Section 10(a) of RA No. 11494 or the Bayanihan to Heal As One Act (Bayanihan 1) for health-related responses to Covid-19. 

"The DBM is committed to fulfill its mandate of promoting the efficient and effective management of the national budget to support its budget priorities while also ensuring that the needs of the Filipino people are met, especially of healthcare workers in this time of the pandemic."