On the third public hearing and inquiry of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, spearheaded by Senate Committee Chairperson Bong Go, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) presented several important details and updates on the Health Emergency Allowance (HEA) releases.

Representing DBM Secretary Amenah “Mina” F. Pangandaman was Legal and Legislative Functional Group Head Undersecretary Janet B. Abuel, who came before Senators Jinggoy Estrada, JV Ejercito, Raffy Tulfo, and Bato Dela Rosa, to aid in the resolution of the matter.

It was clarified that the 2024 allocation for HEA worth ₱19.962 billion has been comprehensively released to the Department of Health (DOH) in the first quarter of the year. In total, the DBM has released ₱76.2 billion for health emergency allowance and COVID-19 Sickness and Death Compensation since 2021.

The HEA budget is part of the P91.283 billion released funds to DOH for the provision of benefits for health workers and providing for their allowances under the Bayanihan Law, which addresses the claims of eligible public and private healthcare workers.

Usec. Abuel also expressed DBM’s strengthened commitment to help frontliners by giving priority to HEA in drafting of FY 2025 National Budget.