• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The ball is now in the hands of the Department of Budget and Management.
That was the reaction of Health Undersecretary Mary Ann Maestral on the still to be released P202.8 million health emergency allowances (HEA), intended for payment to health personnel and staff who rendered services during the COVID-19 pandemic period at nine district hospitals managed by the provincial government of Negros Occidental.
Maestral yesterday said she was told by Dr. Adriano Suba-an, DOH regional director for Western Visayas, that they have complied with all the needed and required documents.
What we are now waiting is when the money to be downloaded, Maestral said, as she admitted soliciting the help of solons and PhilHealth, for the DBM to release the HEA for Negros Occidental health workers.
This issue is nationwide, not just for Negros Occidental, she added.
Provincial Health Officer Dr. Girlie Pinongan disclosed that the P202,837,312.50 claims of the health workers have already been submitted to the DOH.
The unclaimed HEA covers the periods from August to December 2021, and January to July 2023.
This is not just the HEA, but also other budget items of the DOH, Maestral said.
She also dismissed reports as “fake news” of talk circulating that the HEA of health workers will be returned to the national treasury if they do not receive it by year end.
The provincial government of Negros Occidental supervises the Teresita Lopez Jalandoni Provincial Hospital in Silay City, and district hospitals in Cadiz, Valladolid, La Carlota, Himamaylan, Isabela, Kabankalan, Hinobaan, and Sipalay.
As stipulated in the provisions of RA 11712, health workers assigned in high risk medical facilities, such as Cadiz District Hospital, which was designated as the COVID hospital in Negros Occidental, are entitled to receive P9,000 HEA for every month, P6,000 for medium risk areas, and P3,000 for low risk areas.
Maestral speculated that there might be some problems with paper work within the DBM, which may cause the delay.*
