CAMARINES Sur LRay Villafuerte is backing a special audit by the Commission on Audit (COA) of the cumulative payments of over P121.3 billion for the Covid-19 allowances of healthcare workers (HCWs) and non-HCWs, with the goal of determining whether the government, as claimed by certain health facilities, still owe P6.8 billion to these medical frontliners nearly two years after the end of the pandemic.

Villafuerte, a lead author of the three laws granting public health emergency benefits and allowances (PHEBA) to HCWs and HCWs during the three-year pandemic, supported the joint request for such a COA audit by the Departments of Health (DOH) and of Budget and Management (DBM) to validate all disbursements amid claims by health facilities that the government still owe their healthcare workers P6.8 billion in PHEBA arrears.

Aside from HCWs, the extra benefits also cover frontliners who are non-HCWs, including those rendering medical, allied medical, administrative, technical, and support services in hospitals, health facilities, laboratories, medical or temporary treatment and monitoring facilities, and vaccination sites.

The Camarines Sur congressman and once three-term governor said that, “The special COA audit would determine whether there were still unpaid allowances due our medical frontliners almost two years after the lifting of the pandemic, and, if it is eventually determined that there are arrears left, then the DBM and DOH could hopefully work on paying such unpaid allowances to them at the soonest.”

“We have collectively declared HCWs and non-HCWs our heroes for risking their lives in both private and public hospitals during the three-year pandemic, and it certainly is regrettable if a special audit by the COA, as requested jointly by the DOH and DBM, would ascertain that our healthcare workers who were at the forefront of saving Filipino lives against Covid-19 have yet to receive all PHEBA allowances due them,” Villafuerte, National Unity Party (NUP) president, said.

Villafuerte was the principal author in the House of Representatives of Republic Act (RA) 11469 or the “Bayanihan to Heal as One Act” (Bayanihan 1) and RA 11494 or the “Bayanihan to Recover as One Act” (Bayanihan 2), both of which had provided for such extra benefits to HCWs and non-HCWs along with financial aid or ayuda to poor Filipino families, dislocated workers and other Covid-hit sectors.

Also, Villafuerte co-authored RA 11712, or the “Public Health Emergency Benefits and Allowances for Healthcare Workers Act,” which assured the release of such benefits to our HCWs and non-HCWs even after the lapse of the two Bayanihan laws.

Aside from HCWs, the extra benefits during the pandemic also cover frontliners who are non-HCWs, including those rendering medical, allied medical, administrative, technical, and support services in hospitals, health facilities, laboratories, medical or temporary treatment and monitoring facilities, and vaccination sites.

Villafuerte pointed out that RA 11712 was written by the Congress to prevent a repeat of previous instances wherein many of our medical frontliners had complained about not getting on time the HEA due them since the pandemic broke out in early 2020.

Under RA 11712, the supplemental benefits had retroactive application from July 1, 2021.

These laws provided for the grant of PHEBA, particularly the Health Emergency Allowance (HEA), representing the worker benefits for the eligible claims of HCWs and non-HCWs from 2020 to 2023.

Then-President Duterte issued Proclamation No. 922 on March 8, 2020 declaring a State of Public Health Emergency nationwide because of the pandemic.

President Marcos issued Proclamation No. 297 on July 21, 2023 lifting this health emergency state, two months after World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Ashanom Ghebreyesus—following the recommendation of the WHO International Health Regulations (IHR) Emergency Committee—determined in May 2023 that Covid-19 “no longer constitutes a public health emergency of International concern.”

The DOH reported that 4.14 million people were infected with the Covid-19 virus by January 2024, of whom 66,864 died.

Villafuerte recalled that as a result of further appeals for additional PHEBA funds, the DBM and DOH made a request during the Feb. 7 monthly meeting of economic managers for the COA to conduct a special audit of the previous disbursements to ensure proper accounting of all public funds spent for the claims.

In a joint statement, the DBM and DOH said that a COA special audit “will also assist the DOH in validating and consolidating all requests and disbursements related to the HEA.”

According to the joint DBM-DOH statement, the DBM had allotted and released to the DOH a total of P121.325 billion for the 2020-2023 claims, comprising payments of the Special Risk Allowance, Health Emergency Allowance/One Covid-19 Allowance, Covid-19 Sickness and Death Compensation, along with other benefits like meal, accommodation and transportation allowances.

During congressional hearings in April and May 2024, the DOH brought up its request for additional funds amounting to P27.453 billion, to fully cover the unpaid PHEBA claims.

This DOH request prompted DBM Secretary Amenah Pangandaman to approve in July 2024 the release of a Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) amounting to P27.453 billion to cover the supposed final computation of the PHEBA arrears.

However, the DBM and DOH noted in their joint statement that they have “received various appeals and additional requests for HEA payments from health facilities that were not covered by previous releases,” such that the PHEBA requirements amounted to P110.30 billion as of December 2024, instead of the earlier reported P103.5 billion.

“Thus, an additional funding requirement of P6.8 billion, in addition to the P121.325 billion cumulative funding provided for the benefits and compensation claims, is requested,” the DBM and DOH said in their joint statement.

Villafuerte explained that HCWs and non-HCWs were entitled under the law to HEA for every month of service under a state of public health emergency, equivalent to P3,000 for those assigned to low-risk areas; P6,000 for those in medium-risk areas; and P9,000 for those in high-risk areas.

Apart from the HEA, HCWs infected with mild or moderate Covid-19 infection were entitled under the law to receive P15,000 in compensation, while those who contracted severe or critical coronavirus disease were to get P100,000 each, he said.

The families of every HCWs and non-HCW who died of Covid-19 in the line of duty were also entitled to each receive P1 million, he added.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Ryan Ponce Pacpaco