DOH, DBM trade blame over delayed SRA release

Officials from the Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) are engaged in a blame game regarding the delayed release of the special risk allowance (SRA) for healthcare workers.

The DOH claims they were given only five days to obligate and disburse the P9.7 billion SRA before the Bayanihan 2 Law expired on June 30, pointing to the DBM's late release of the Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) on June 25.

DOH Assistant Secretary Maylene Beltran stated that this short timeframe made it difficult to coordinate with private sector hospitals and local government unit hospitals nationwide.

Senate Blue Ribbon panel chairman Richard Gordon suggested that the DBM's delayed release of funds and the tight deadline imposed on the DOH demonstrated intra-government inefficiency and a lack of vision.

However, the DBM countered that the DOH took 13 days to sign a joint circular for the SRA guidelines after an Administrative Order was issued on June 1.

DBM officer-in-charge Tina Rose Canda stated that the DOH only submitted their request for the funds on June 23, and the DBM released the SARO the next day, backdated to June 25.

Gordon concluded that both departments were victims of bureaucracy in the handling of the SRA funds.