ILOILO City – The Department of Health (DOH) has released almost P700 million already for the Special Risk Allowance (SRA) of Western Visayas healthcare workers battling the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
According to Cristine Abuzo, Accountant III of DOH Region 6, the office transferred the funds to local government units (LGUs) and private hospitals: P462.064 million from September to December 2020 and another P221.733 million from December 2020 to April 30, 2021.
Without specifying the exact number, Abuzo said “hundreds” of Western Visayan health workers have received their SRA.
The grant of the COVID-19 SRA is stipulated in Joint Circular No. 2 series of 2020 of the DOH and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM). It covers both public and private health workers who are directly catering to or are in contact with COVID-19 patients.
The DOH allocated the corresponding amount for SRA based on the list of eligible health workers submitted by the head of office – whether hospital or LGU.
Meanwhile, according to Genevieve Cadornigara, DOH-6’s Human Resource Management Officer, it is the regional office that facilitates and processes the release of the SRA as long as documentary requirements such as the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) and the list of eligible health workers approved through a Sangguniang Bayan resolution (for LGUs) and approved by the Human Resource personnel or hospital chief (for hospitals) are complied with.
Director Adriano Suba-an of DOH-6 earlier acknowledged the various concerns of healthcare workers, particularly with regards to their SRA.
He said the grant of SRA – not exceeding P5,000 per month they are physically on duty – is in recognition of the health workers’ “heroic and invaluable contributions by being at the forefront of the national effort” to address the pandemic.
As to the said delays, Suba-an noted that these maybe due to the late submission of documentary requirements from LGUs and other health facilities.
“The COVID-19 has also affected some personnel which hampered the processing of documents,” he cited.
Cardonigara said they could not increase the SRA from the current P5,000 since they have a rule to follow. As to the salary, it depends on the corresponding salary grade of the health workers./PN
