Senator Christopher “Bong” Go has renewed his call for the Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to expedite the release of allowances for healthcare workers who have yet to receive their share under the law that grants them and other frontliners emergency benefits and allowances.

Go made the manifestation during the Senate’s plenary deliberations on the proposed 2023 budget of the DOH on Thursday night.

“We passed Republic Act 11712 or the Public Health Emergency Benefits and Allowances for Health Care Workers sponsored by Finance Chair, Senator Angara. In the law, we provided benefits and compensation to our healthcare workers and frontliners,” Go said during his interpellation on the DOH’s proposed P215.333-billion budget.

“I am sure the good sponsor, Senator Pia Cayetano, would agree that we must properly compensate our health workforce without delay. Sa pagkaalam ko po, meron pa ding di nabayaran, noong 2021. Ngayon po, problema nanaman po ang mga natitira na hindi pa nababayaran sa 2022 (As far as I know, there are still some that have not been paid, in 2021. Now, there is a problem with the remaining ones that have not been paid in 2022),” the chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography pointed out.

“Kaya naman nanawagan ako sa DOH at DBM na bilisan ang pamamahagi ng allowances sa ating healthcare workers. Tayo naman po sa Senado sana maisama natin ang kaukulang budget na kailangan para sa allowances sa susunod na taon pati na yung mga hindi pa nababayaran nga po noong 2021. Importante, madam sponsor, na mabayaran sila sa kanilang serbisyo (That's why, I called on the DOH and DBM to speed up the distribution of allowances to our healthcare workers. We in the Senate hope we can include the corresponding budget needed for allowances next year, including those that have not yet been paid in 2021. It is important, dear sponsors, that they be paid for their services),” the senator stressed.

Go said it is imperative for the government not to neglect healthcare workers who were hired during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The lawmaker lamented that many of the country’s healthcare workers are moving abroad because of greater opportunities there.

“We can't blame them because they have a family to support and they need a higher salary or a big income,” he pointed out.

“But these are the healthcare workers who are helping us respond to the pandemic, let's not neglect them. They chose to serve here instead of working in another country,” he said.

Likewise, Go appealed to his colleagues to provide additional budget to the DOH to ensure the continuous implementation of programs that would help provide Filipinos access to primary care.

“I continue to push for additional budget for health. We really need to further strengthen our healthcare system. We must invest more in health,” the senator stressed.

The DOH’s budget has been deemed submitted for approval.