THOUSANDS of health workers in Cebu City reportedly remain unpaid for their service during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a councilor.
Years after the height of the crisis, Councilor Pastor “Jun” Alcover Jr. is urging immediate action to release the Health Emergency Allowance (HEA). Despite the National Government allocating funds, administrative failures and the dissolution of pandemic-response offices have left nearly 4,000 former frontliners without the benefits mandated by law.
Why is the distribution of HEA stalled
The delay persists due to a breakdown in record-keeping following the disbandment of temporary pandemic offices and the lack of designated personnel to manage the payroll lists. While funds are reportedly available, bureaucratic hurdles and redundant requirements have prevented the money from reaching the beneficiaries.
Availability of funds
The funds required to pay these workers are reportedly already in the possession of the local government. Records from the City Treasurer’s Office indicate that Cebu City received P431,324,718 intended for HEA disbursement.
Councilor Mikel Rama noted that the Department of Budget and Management released P6.767 billion nationwide for HEA allocations in November. This contradicts any claims that the City is waiting for the National Government to download the funds. Rama emphasized that the delay contradicts the intent of Republic Act (RA) 11712.
Allowance tiers and legal basis
Under RA 11712, the Public Health Emergency Benefits and Allowances for Health Care Workers Act, eligible workers are entitled to a monthly HEA based on their risk exposure. These mandated minimum rates are P3,000 for those in low-risk areas (office-based personnel), P6,000 for medium-risk areas (field workers) and P9,000 for those deployed in high-risk areas (hospitals and areas involving direct contact with infectious agents).
These benefits are applicable retroactively to July 1, 2021, and remain in effect for the duration of the declared public health emergency. Eligible recipients cover a broad range of public and private health care and non-health care workers, regardless of employment status (including contractual and job order personnel). This includes nurses, midwives, medical technologists and support staff, as well as registered barangay health workers who are part of the Department of Health’s response efforts. The prior law, RA 11494 (Bayanihan to Recover as One Act), provided similar but temporary benefits that expired before RA 11712 took effect.
Disbanded offices and missing records
A significant cause of the delay is the dissolution of specific units created to handle the pandemic response. These include Project Noah (Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards), the Cebu City Quarantine Center, the City Health Department and the Emergency Operations Center.
When these offices closed, many personnel resigned or moved to other jobs. Consequently, there were no “focal persons” left to consolidate and track the lists of qualified recipients. This led to late or incomplete submissions of names to the Department of Health (DOH).
“This issue has been going on for a very long time. The problem is that our offices submitted their lists to the DOH late. Many offices only existed during the pandemic and have since disappeared, which is why the processing became disorganized,” Alcover said.
Redundant requirements
Despite validation processes conducted by the DOH and the City, some offices continue to demand additional documents from workers, such as office clearances, service records, computation sheets and signed undertakings.
Alcover argues that these requirements are unnecessary for workers who have already been validated and included in the master list. He contends that presenting an identification card should suffice and adding more prerequisites only prolongs the wait.
“Yet up to this day, wa gihapon sila makadawat sa Health Emergency Allowance nga gisaad sa balaod,” he said.
Consequences and next steps
The City Accounting Office and the treasurer’s office have committed to releasing the allowances by Dec. 24. However, the City Council has requested an executive session to clarify the exact status of the payroll, the amount of unutilized funds and the specific steps required to ensure lawful disbursement.
Failure to meet the December deadline would mean that thousands of workers still have to wait. The City Government must now focus on determining exactly who remains unlisted and how to process the payroll through the Management Information and Computer Services system immediately.
“This is not just delayed paperwork. This is justice… It is only right that this government fulfills its obligation to them,” Alcover said. / CAV