THE DEPARTMENT of Health (DOH) released P7.43 million in health emergency allowances (HEA) to UST Hospital on Nov. 13, ending months of delay that had prompted protests from healthcare workers.
The payout covers benefits of UST Hospital workers who served at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In October, the Ugnayan ng Nagkakaisang Manggagawa ng UST Hospital (UNM-USTH) estimated that P7.8 million in HEA funds remained pending for release.
The allowances were withheld despite the hospital’s complete submission of requirements, the hospital union said.
The release took two years of appeals from hospital employees, represented by the UNM-USTH and the United Private Hospital Unions of the Philippines.
The groups blamed the government’s “faulty system,” which left them waiting for allowances due from 2023.
During an Oct. 28 protest at the DOH, union leaders said UST Hospital personnel were waiting for at least one month’s worth of allowances, part of a seven-month backlog of pandemic-related benefits.
Hospital employees also reported in October that some outsourced staff had been excluded from the list or received lower amounts than expected, despite their service throughout the pandemic.
Under Republic Act No. 11712, all healthcare workers, regardless of employment status, are entitled to monthly HEA benefits during the Covid‑19 pandemic and other declared public‑health emergencies, ranging from P3,000 to P9,000, depending on their risk exposure.
In a Facebook post, the UNM-USTH expressed gratitude to members who joined them in their recent protest.
“Bunga ng mariing pantindig sa karapatan at matibay na pagkakaisa ng mga manggagawa ng UST Hospital,” it said. “Ito ay panalo ng mga manggagawa.”
In September, the Department of Budget and Management released the Special Allotment Release Order to DOH, worth P6.77 billion, to be used to settle HEA.
The DOH had said it had been working to “process and reconcile pending HEA claims nationwide.”
