SP confirms MOA with CHD-NM on Health Emergency Allowance

Through an ordinance, the 20th City Council during its regular session presided over by City Vice Mayor Jocelyn B. Rodriguez confirmed and ratified the Memorandum of Agreement entered into by and between the city government and the Center for Health Development – Northern Mindanao (CHD-NM).

The MOA covers the grant of Health Emergency Allowance (HEA) to eligible healthcare workers (HCW) and non-healthcare workers who served during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This is in line with the Department of Health (DOH) Administrative Order (AO) No. 2022-0001 or the Amendment to the (AO) entitled “COVID-19 Risk Exposure Classification of Healthcare Workers” which was issued to set parameters for determining the risk exposure of personnel in COVID-19 response-involved health facilities.

Under the MOA, the CHD-NM shall transfer to the city government in the amount specified in the approved HEA forms, as the case may be, upon issuance of the corresponding Certificate of Availability of Funds for the grant of HEA to the city’s eligible HCWs and non-HCWs.

The city shall facilitate the payment of HEA benefits to its eligible HCWs and non-HCWs as guided by DOH AO; it shall ensure that there is no duplicity of the names of the HCWs, require them to sign a quitclaim with an undertaking that in case the HCWs and non-HCWs receive HEA benefits twice or more than one, the HCWs and non-HCWs shall return the excess amount.

It shall also submit to CHD-NM the final report on the number of eligible HCWs and non-HCWs signed by the human resource personnel or personnel division certified by the head of the facility, as well as to comply with any other related guidelines that may be issued by the CHD-NM, among others.

The MOA was reviewed and endorsed by the committees on health, nutrition, and health insurance and on laws and rules chaired by Councilors Maria Lourdes S. Gaane and Edgar S. Cabanlas, respectively.