Malabon City health workers and emergency frontliners who served during the Covid-19 pandemic will receive their Health Emergency Allowance (HEA) soon, the city government announced on Monday, September 23.
According to the city’s public information office, the city government will continue to coordinate with the Department of Health (DOH) regarding the financial grants of frontliners.
The announcement came following requests for updates from Covid-19 responders and other sectors.
The HEA, established under Republic Act No. 11712 in April 2022, grants allowances to both health and non-health care workers, including contact tracers and staff at the isolation centers, vaccination sites, and other facilities.
It added that the allowance is based on the number of days worked and the worker’s exposure level in low, medium, or high-risk areas.
“Dahil nag-end si Covid for the Philippines as an emergency in July of 2023, so, doon din nag-end si Covid Allowance or HEA. Itong hinihintay ngayon is for some periods of 2021… some periods of 2022, and January to July of 2023 (Since COVID-19 ended as a public health emergency in the Philippines in July 2023, the COVID Allowance or Health Emergency Allowance (HEA) also ended at that time. What is currently being awaited pertains to payments for certain periods in 2021, 2022, and from January to July 2023),” City Health Department (CHD) Officer-in-Charge Dr. Bernadette Bordador said.
“So lahat nung working within health or in the isolation or in the vaccination (sites) or in the office for that time are entitled, nag-iiba lang siya in terms of risk (All those who worked in healthcare, isolation facilities, vaccination sites, or offices during those periods are entitled to the allowance, with variations depending on the level of risk they faced),” she added.
The city has submitted the necessary documents to the DOH, including a list of frontliners and pre-audited payroll covering the specified periods.
The City Health Department said that they are now waiting for the national agency’s approval.
Borador also said that once approved, City Mayor Jeannie Sandoval will sign a memorandum of agreement with the DOH for the distribution of the HEA, amounting to P76 million, which will benefit over 1,533 Covid-19 health workers and non-health personnel in the city.
“Right now, it's not just Malabon waiting. There’s a lot of LGUs waiting and even private companies,” she said.
The CHD head also emphasized that they will coordinate with the DOH's focal person to follow up on the status of the city's Covid-19 frontliners' HEA.
“It’s coming, kaunting pasensiya lang siguro about the timing pero dadating naman 'yung HEA (It’s coming, just a little more patience regarding the timing, but the HEA will arrive),” Bordador said.
City Administrator Dr. Alexander Rosete expressed his gratitude to all the frontliners who sacrificed and provided service to the residents of the city during the pandemic.
Rosete assured frontliners that they will follow up on their HEA in coordination with the DOH. He encouraged anyone in need to reach out to the local government office for assistance.