DBM, DOH seek special audit on COVID-19 health allowance for workers

The Department of Budget and Management and the Department of Health have requested the Commission on Audit to conduct a special audit of the previously released and disbursed funds for the payment of all Public Health Emergency Benefits and Allowances (PHEBA) claims

In a joint statement, the DBM and DOH said this will ensure proper accounting of public funds spent for the purpose and will assist the Health Department in validating and consolidating all requests and disbursements related to the health emergency allowance.

The agencies noted the constantly changing funding requirements for PHEBA.

They said the DBM has allotted and released to the DOH a total of P121.325 billion, covering all healthcare and non-healthcare workers who rendered their services from 2020 to 2023.

The P121.325 billion covered the grant of Special Risk Allowance, Health Emergency Allowance/One COVID-19 Allowance, COVID-19 Sickness and Death Compensation, and other benefits, such as meal, accommodation, and transportation allowances.

During the hearing of the Senate committee on health and demography on April 2 and May 20, 2024, the DOH requested for P27.453 billion in additional funds to cover the full requirement for the supposed final computation of the PHEBA arrears.

On July 5, 2024, Budget  Secretary Amenah Pangandaman approved the release of a Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) amounting to P27.453 billion.

"The Advice of SARO specifically provides that the allotment release therein shall cover the full funding requirements for the PHEBA of eligible healthcare and non-healthcare workers, based on the submitted report dated April 26, 2024. This is the final and validated computation by the DOH based on submissions before a set deadline," the agencies said.

"However, despite the final and validated computation of health emergency allowance payments timely filed before the announced deadline, the DOH and DBM have received various appeals and additional requests for health emergency allowance payments from health facilities that were not covered by previous releases," the joint statement read.

It was also reported that the PHEBA funding requirements, as of December 12, 2024, was P110.30 billion instead of the earlier reported P103.5 billion.

“An additional funding requirement of P6.8 billion, in addition to the P121.325 billion funding, is requested," the agencies said.

The DBM and DOH said it raised serious concerns among economic managers why the funding requirements to cover the incentives remain a moving target, even more than a year after the state of public health emergency due to COVID-19 was lifted by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in July 2023

"This situation creates uncertainties regarding the government's payment obligations for this purpose," they added.

Aside from the special audit, the DOH has agreed to finalize the list of health emergency allowance recipients to resolve the longstanding concern once and for all.—Llanesca Panti/AOL, GMA Integrated News