Tell it to SunStar: Keep HEA money away from greedy hands

By BHW Party-list Rep. Angelica Natasha Co

ON BEHALF of the thousands of barangay health workers (BHWs) who are scheduled to finally receive their Health Emergency Allowance (HEA), I appeal to the Department of Health that the funds downloaded to the DOH regional offices be deposited directly into the bank accounts or e-wallets (e.g. Maya or GCash) of the BHWs.

This way, there will be no opportunity for anyone in any local government office to reduce the amounts to which only the BHWs are entitled to.

This direct path of the HEA will ensure every BHW entitled to the HEA gets the full amount without any deductions or so-called “sharing” with anyone else at city hall, municipality, or barangay who are not entitled to the HEA.

BHW Party-list raises this issue again because of the tragic past results BHWs suffered when other allowances and cash assistance from the National Government were disbursed to them in reduced amounts because evil people took their unlawful share.

BHW Party-list welcomes the declaration of Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Ted Herbosa that late applications for HEA will still be accepted at DOH.

Sa pakikipag-dayalogo ko sa mga BHWs sa iba’t ibang bahagi ng bansa, natuklasan kong may ilang mga kaso kung saan nag-submit ng requirements sa takdang oras ang mga BHWs sa kani-kanilang municipal health officers (MHOs) ngunit ang MHOs, hindi isinumite ang mga naturang requirements sa DOH sa pag-aakalang hindi kabilang ang mga BHWs sa mga nararapat makatanggap ng HEA.

(In my dialogues with BHWs from various parts of the country, I discovered that there were several cases where BHWs submitted their requirements on time to their respective MHOs. However, the MHOs did not submit these requirements to the DOH, assuming that BHWs were not among those eligible to receive the HEA.)

Yan ang pagkakamali na itinatama na ngayon ng mga naturang MHOs, kaya’t ikanalulugod namin ang pahayag ni Secretary Ted Herbosa na pwede pang-ihabol sa listahan ang mga apektadong BHWs upang makatanggap ng HEA.

(This is the mistake that these MHOs are now correcting. Therefore, we welcome the statement of Secretary Herbosa that the affected BHWs can still be added to the list to receive the HEA.)

Simpleng mamamayan lamang ang mga mahal naming BHWs (Our beloved BHWs are simple citizens). It will take time for some of them to put together the needed documentation. I have therefore asked the BHW federation to assist BHWs who want to submit late HEA applications.