All healthcare workers will get up to P9,000 COVID-19 allowance monthly in 2022
The government will give a monthly COVID-19 allowance to all health workers and others under the health system next year.
During a Senate interpellation on the budget of the Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday, Senator Pia Cayetano, who sponsored the health department's budget, said that the government has allocated Php 51 billion for the Covid-19 Healthcare Workers Benefits and Compensation of all public and private health workers nationwide.
Of the figure, P11 billion was already allocated in the proposed DOH budget and the remaining P40 billion is under the 'unprogrammed funds'. That means the government will get its funding through loans.
"During the deliberation on the general principle when the economic team was here, Sec. Karl (Chua, secretary of the National Economic and Development Authority) said that they will fund this," Cayetano assured, when quizzed by Senator Ralph Recto.
Cayetano explained that the benefits include Special Risk Allowance (SRA), hazard pay, transportation, and meal allowances which the health workers and non-health workers under the health system monthly.
These will be given on the following categories:
- High risk - P9,000 monthly
- Medium risk - P6,000 monthly
- Low risk - P3,000 monthly
A total of 526,727 healthcare workers and 13,157 non-health workers will receive the benefits next year.
To recall, Senators have been pushing for bigger budget for COVID-19 allowance of all healthcare workers after seeing that there was no allocation in the proposed National Expenditure Program (NEP) submitted by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) for next year.
The lawmakers also moved that SRA and other allowances be accorded to all private and public health workers working in the health system, not only to those directly in contact with COVID-19 patients.
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