Department of Budget and Management Secretary Amenah Pangandaman presents the National Expenditure Program for Fiscal Year 2024 to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (Photo Courtest: Presidential Communications Office)
QUEZON CITY, (PIA) — President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. happily announced that the Public Health Emergency Benefits and Allowances for Healthcare and Non-Healthcare workers in the country has a budget allocation of P20 billion in the 2024 proposed national budget.
In his 2024 Budget Message, President Marcos also underscored the commitment of the national government to provide the necessary financial support to the health sector towards ensuring the establishment of a responsive and supportive healthcare system.
“Following the lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, health has become a top priority of this Administration to safeguard the population from future health crises. This involves enhancing our healthcare infrastructure, ensuring adequate medical supplies, and strengthening our healthcare workforce,” said President Marcos.
Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah Pangandaman also recognized the importance of incentivizing the efforts of healthcare workers for their unmatched dedication to cater to the diverse public health needs of Filipinos.
“As directed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., we shall sustain our efforts in strengthening government healthcare services. And this involves providing our healthcare workers— our heroes— with needed and continued support, including their allowances and compensation,” said Secretary Pangandaman.
“The appropriated budget ensures that the country’s healthcare and non-healthcare workers will continue to receive due compensation despite the recent lifting of the state of public health emergency throughout the country due to COVID-19 through Proclamation No. 297,” she further noted.
Meanwhile, the said allowance and compensation will also cover the arrears of the Department of Health (DOH) from July 2021 in addition to the P64 billion that was already released to settle the pending claims.
It can be recalled that in the approved National Expenditure Program (NEP) for fiscal year 2023, a sum of P19.962 billion was earmarked for the provision of benefits and allowances as well as the payment of arrears relative to public health emergencies.
As of October 2023, the DOH reported that a sum of P20.893 billion has already been obligated in terms of arrears leaving the balance to P3.318 billion.
On the other hand, the DBM has already released a total of P64.169 billion to pay for the estimated number of 4,359,140 health emergency allowances and compensation claims.
Under the 2024 NEP, the national health department has been granted an additional P4 billion in the Unprogrammed Appropriations to further support its program interventions.
Last September 27, the Congress passed the 2024 General Appropriations Bill on its third and final reading.
The Senate of the Philippines received the house bill on November 4.
President Marcos is expected to sign the approved 2024 NEP in December 2023. (DBM/PIA-NCR)
