THE Department of Health (DOH) is asking Congress for a P49 billion budget to fund the monthly allowance of all health workers next year, including those who are not directly exposed to COVID-19 patients.
Cebu Rep. Vince Franco Frasco, who defended the DOH’s P242 billion proposed national budget for 2022 on the floor on Tuesday evening, said the amount would cover some 79,962 health workers under the low-risk category, 47,173 medium-risk, and 399,592 high-risk.
The DOH had proposed a P73.99 billion budget for COVID-19 response next year, but the Department of Budget of Budget and Management (DBM) only approved P19.68 billion, an amount which some lawmakers said was measly since the pandemic may last for another year or two.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque has said this is the reason why there is no budget for the allowances and benefits of healthcare workers under next year’s DOH proposed budget, noting that some P50.4 billion of the original proposed amount would have covered hazard pay, special risk and meal allowances, accommodation and transportation and life insurance.
Frasco said that under the proposal, a P9,000 monthly allowance will be given to high-risk workers because they are in direct contact with COVID-19 patients; P6,000 for medium-risk workers, and P3,000 for low-risk workers.
The allowances will be given regardless if they are working in private or public hospitals.
If the additional budget will not be approved, Frasco said the budget for the health workers’ special risk allowance will be funded under the Bayanihan 3 law, which is yet to be approved by the Senate.
At least four percent of next year’s budget, or about P241 billion, was allocated for COVID-19 response, including the P45.4 billion to cover the COVID-19 booster shots of 93.798 million fully vaccinated Filipinos who might need to be inoculated again next year.
The budget for booster shots, however, is placed under “unprogrammed funds,” which means that it will only be funded if the government will be able to meet its revenue targets next year.
Frasco said the DOH still has some P4.2 billion that can be realigned to help the government buy booster shots.
Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo asked Frasco during the interpellations why there is a discrepancy between the DBM’s proposed budget for COVID-19 response and the DOH’s proposal.
Under the DBM’s proposal, the amount is P48.44 billion while the DOH’s is only asking P19.68 billion which the department is asking to be augmented.
Quimbo cited a DBM data showing that P819 million is allotted for the procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE) while DOH is asking for P3.44 billion.
Frasco said the DOH’s submission should take precedence, noting that the agency had initially proposed a COVID-19 response budget of as high as P92.9 billion only for the DBM to approve a measly P19.6 billion.
Quimbo, who has been criticizing the DOH’s low utilization rate of its budget after it was also noticed by the Commission on Audit (COA), found out from Frasco that as of August 31, the department only spent 38 centavos for every peso of its budget this year.
“(The) effective utilization as of August 30 is only about 38 percent,” she said. “In other words, for every one peso of allotment, only 38 centavos is being disbursed as of now.”
