Marcos: P59.8B paid to COVID-19 health workers

Dr Frederick Untalan wore Health Workers Lives Matter at Unity March and Health Workers Day program taken on May 7 2023 by Vincent Cabreza

President Marcos said on Wednesday that the government had paid P59.8 billion or 78.9 percent of the allowances that emergency health workers who served at the height of the pandemic were entitled to under the law.

“In fulfillment of our promise, our administration has given out P59.8 billion or 78.92 percent of COVID health emergency allowance to our frontline heroes,” he said in a social media post. Mr. Marcos made the announcement as the country marked National Health Workers’ Day on May 8 as mandated by Republic Act No. 10069.

“On this National Health Workers’ Day, we give utmost recognition to the sacrifices of our front-liners who have been wholeheartedly serving the country and showing the world the competence and compassion of Filipinos,” he said. In December, Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa estimated that it would take until 2026 for the government to pay in full the emergency allowances totaling P62.9 billion to all eligible health workers. —MELVIN GASCON