No funds were allocated for special risk allowance (SRA) of healthcare workers in the 2022 National Expenditure Program (NEP) of the Department of Health (DOH), Secretary Francisco Duque III said Wednesday, Sept. 1.
In the briefing of the House Committee on Health on the proposed 2022 budget of the DOH, Duque said the budgetary support for the SRA of healthcare workers is “lodged in the Bayanihan 3.”
This was questioned by Marikina Second District Representative Stella Quimbo who said that Bayanihan 3 is “hanging in the balance.”
“Di tayo sure kung ‘yan ay magiging batas. So anong plano natin? Saan natin kukunin yung pondo na ‘yan? (We’re not sure if that will become a law. So what is the plan? Where will you get the funds for that?” Quimbo told the DOH.
The DOH said the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has released P311,793,474 for the SRA of HCWs last week.
Out of this amount, P308,181,207 was already disbursed to various health facilities, both private and local government unit-owned.
From the P308 million, P115 million was “actually received” by the health facilities, according to DOH Director Larry Cruz.
Cruz said 20 percent or 2,264 out of its target 20,000 HCWs have received their SRA.