DOH releases allowances for health workers

MAYOR BENG Climaco thanked the Department of Health for releasing some P36 million in Special Risk Allowance or SRA which is intended for local government health workers.

DOH regional director Dr. Joshua Brillantes hands over the SRA cheque to Mayor Beng Climaco. (Bong Serondo)

DOH Regional Director Dr. Joshua Brillantes handed over the cheque to Climaco. It will cover the SRA of barangay health workers, barangay nutrition scholars, Covid-19 contact tracers and regular employees of the City Health Office, among others. 

The mayor lauded Brillantes for taking the “extra mile to personally hand over the check” to the local government. She also thanked the Local Finance Committee, specifically the City Accountant Office, the City Treasurer Office, the City Budget Offices, as well as the City Legal Office for expediting the liquidation for the payment of the first tranche of the SRA in September. 

Climaco said the continuous grant of the SRA is a show of gratitude to all the frontliners, who sacrifice their lives for the safety and protection of others. “We thank all our frontliners assigned in medical facilities, in the borders and down to the barangays,” she said. 

She ordered the Local Finance Committee to expedite the preparation of the documents for the release of the SRA to public health workers as soon as possible. The second tranche will cover the period December 20, 2020 to June 30, 2021 at a maximum of P5,000 per month with 22 working days. 

Last month, hundreds of local health workers thanked Climaco after receiving their SRA following government orders to aid those who are in the frontline of the Covid-19 response.

Climaco led the distribution of the SRA to health workers, including child development workers, barangay nutrition scholars, barangay population volunteers, tanods and members of the Barangay Intelligence Network and vaccinators, among others.

The beneficiaries received a maximum of P25,000 and a minimum of P15,000 each, depending on the number of days worked. 

Climaco said the raging battle against Covid-19 has prompted the national government to release the SRA in recognition of the heroic and invaluable contributions of health workers throughout the country as they risk their lives to confront the deadly pandemic. (Zamboanga Post)