House Calls for Urgent Release of Pending Health Workers Benefits
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) must collaborate with Congress and other government agencies to expedite the release of pending benefits for healthcare workers who served during the COVID-19 pandemic, officials reported. The call highlights the need to prioritize the welfare of frontliners who risked their lives in the crisis.
Albay 3rd District Representative Raymond Adrian Salceda emphasized that the Department of Health should coordinate closely with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to find a solution for the immediate release of the delayed Health Emergency Allowance (HEA) claims. He pointed out that since confidential funds (CF) can be disbursed based on affidavits, the same principle should apply to the health workers’ benefits.
House Resolution Demands Action on Pending Health Workers Benefits
This appeal is embodied in House Resolution (HR) No. 127, which Salceda filed earlier. The resolution urges the DOH and DBM to determine the exact amount of unpaid benefits and ensure these arrears are included in the current year’s budget. It also calls on the House committee on appropriations to secure funding during budget deliberations for these outstanding payments.
“It’s already embarrassing, the frontliners have risked their lives on the line during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is literally unpaid debt by the government,” Salceda said in Filipino. “The Department of Budget and Management is just following the law and I think that is good. But there must be a way to fix this so our health workers are paid while records are being completed.”
He added, “If records are in disarray, then let every frontliner come up with their own affidavit to prove that they served during the pandemic. If we can do this with confidential funds where they just sign papers, what more for health workers.”
Sworn Affidavits to Validate Eligibility
Salceda proposed that unpaid health workers submit sworn affidavits attesting to their eligibility, service period, and other necessary details to qualify for their benefits. These affidavits would be submitted to the DOH for validation against existing records.
Meanwhile, the DBM would process payments immediately, while the Commission on Audit (COA) would conduct post-audit verification. This approach aims to expedite payments without compromising accountability.
“This is not a simple documentary requirement. It is the livelihood and the right of the people who served us during the most critical moments of the pandemic. If we have unpaid debt, we should address this immediately and help each other fix this,” Salceda stressed.
Current Status and Government Response
As of September 2024, the DOH reported that 90 percent of HEA payouts, totaling ₱103.5 billion, had been disbursed. This included ₱14.5 million in claims from health workers following the release of the remaining ₱27 billion for COVID-19 HEAs in July 2024. However, some health workers still complain of unpaid benefits.
These complaints prompted lawmakers to urge the DBM and DOH to find solutions to settle outstanding payments. In March 2025, both agencies requested the COA to conduct a special audit of previously released and disbursed funds for all Public Health Emergency Benefits and Allowances (PHEBA), specifically the HEA, to ensure proper accounting of public funds.
In a joint statement, the DOH and DBM acknowledged that economic managers have expressed serious concerns about why funding requirements to cover PHEBA incentives remain uncertain nearly two years after the national public health emergency ended in July 2023.
“This situation creates uncertainties regarding the government’s payment obligations for this purpose,” officials noted.
For more news and updates on pending health workers benefits, visit Filipinokami.com.
