The Department of Health (DOH) has asked President Duterte to approve an administrative order to allow it to release the meals, accommodation, and transportation (MAT) allowances of health workers.
DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III said that the provision of MAT allowance will cover 423,000 healthcare workers who did not receive the said benefit from Sept. 15, 2020 to Dec. 19, 2020.
"Ang DOH ay naghanda ng isang administrative order at akin na pong binigay kay Executive Secretary Medialdea para pagtibayin ang legal na batayan sa pagpapamahagi ng MAT allowance para sa ating healthcare workers na hindi pa nakatanggap ng nasabing benepisyo noon pong September to December 2020 (The DOH has prepared an administrative order and I have given it to Executive Secretary Medialdea to confirm the legal basis for the distribution of MAT allowance for our healthcare workers who have not received the said benefit since September to December 2020)," said Duque.
"Hinihiling namin ang approval ninyo Mr. President upang aming maibigay ang allowance na nabanggit ko para sa ating mga mangagagawang pangkalusagan (We are requesting your approval Mr. President so that we can provide the allowance I mentioned for our health workers)," he added.
This MAT allowance was part of the Bayanihan 2 that already lapsed last June 2021, said Duque.
"Dahil lumipas na ang effectivity ng Bayanihan 2, nangangailangan kami ng awtoridad upang gamitin ang pondo para sa pamamahagi ng MAT (Since the effectivity of Bayanihan 2 had already lapsed, we need an authorization to use the funds for the distribution of MAT)," said Duque.
Duque said there is enough funds for the MAT allowance---from the DOH's savings amounting to P1.23 billion and from the contingency fund of the Office of the President worth P1.28 billion.
"Ito ay sapat sa kinakailangan pondo na aabot sa P2.51 billion kung saan makakatanggap ng P2,000 ang bawat isa na healthcare worker kada buwan o pangkalahatang P6,000 para sa tatlong buwan mula po sa Setyembre hanggang December 2020 (This is enough for the required funding of P2.51 billion where each healthcare worker will receive P2,000 per month or a total of P6,000 for three months--- from September to December 2020)," he said.