GOVPH

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has released P1.081 billion to the Department of Health (DOH) for the grant of sickness and death benefits to public and private healthcare workers (HCWs) and non-HCWs in health facilities who contracted/may contract COVID-19 in line of duty for this year.  Specifically, HCWs and non-HCWs who contracted mild or moderate COVID-19 infection will receive a compensation of P15,000 while those who  fall under the severe or critical case will be compensated for PhP100,000. A million peso is allotted for the family of HCWs and non-HCWs who died due to COVID-19 while in line of duty. The identification of COVID-19 classification of eligible HCWs and non-HCWs shall be based on the criteria set by the health department under DBM-DOH Joint Circular No. 2022-0002.  The funds were charged against the regular budget of the DOH under the FY 2022 General Appropriations Act. Thus, the compensation will be transferred by the Department of Health to DOH-retained and corporate hospitals, DOH Treatment and Rehabilitation Centers, and Centers for Health Development, among other attached agencies and institutions.  The DBM will continue to ensure the timely and...

SOCIOECONOMIC PLANNING SECRETARY KARL KENDRICK T. CHUA, FINANCESECRETARYCARLOSG.DOMINGUEZ,  BUDGET AND MANAGEMENT OFFICER-IN-CHARGE TINA ROSE MARIE L. CANDA  MAY12,2022   Colleagues in government, friends from the media, fellow Filipinos, good morning. We have overcome our country’s greatest economic and health challenges. The headwinds we faced were strong, but our quick rebound from the Omicron surge in January proved that we can live and deal with the virus. With our strengthened healthcare capacity and accelerated vaccination program, we were able to contain the surge and safely reopen the economy. On February 1, we shifted our economic centers to alert level 2. By the end of March, around 70 percent of the economy was placed in alert level 1. This quick turnaround in the first quarter shows that we can win both the economic and health battles. Performance of the economy Having adeptly managed the risks posed by COVID-19, the Philippine economy grew by 8.3 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2022. This is a significant reversal from the 3.8 percent contraction in the same period last year. We have surpassed the pre-pandemic gross domestic product level. Growth in the...

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has released P7.0 billion to the Department of Transportation (DOTr) for the implementation of the Service Contracting Program (SCP) which aims to provide cash subsidies to affected public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers, while also ensuring the efficiency and safety of public transport services amid the current health and economic crisis.  Under the SCP, operators of PUVs will be contracted via an agreement based on a plan prepared by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).  PUV drivers will then be receiving regular performance-based subsidies based on the number of trips made per week, regardless of the number of passengers. This will be implemented through two types of contract—net cost contracting and gross cost contracting—to ensure fair compensation of services to be provided by PUV drivers.   To ensure the smooth implementation of the program and the proper distribution of the cash subsidies, the LTFRB will be in partnership with priority local government units to facilitate the broad engagement of public transport cooperatives, associations, or corporations operating within their jurisdiction. The SCP...