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The Sagay City mayor says the amount to cover the health emergency allowance intended for the city’s front liners was withdrawn August 16, and supposedly released on August 19-22
BACOLOD, Philippines – The treasurer of Sagay City in Negros Occidental is in “hot water” over the P7.3 million unreleased health emergency allowance (HEA) intended for the city’s front liners during the dreaded coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
Sagay Mayor Narciso Javelosa, Jr. on Monday, September 23, gave City Treasurer Juvy Pinongan an ultimatum to release the remaining amount of P7.3 million out of the P22 million total budget provided by the Department of Health (DOH) for HEA of their 276 health workers, who rendered service at the height of health pandemic.
Pinongan, however, did not commit yet as to when to release the fund, saying she first had to reconcile her office cash flow, City Administrator Ryan Bonghanoy told Rappler on Tuesday.
Because of this, Bonghanoy said, the mayor has ordered the city legal office (CLO) to investigate the matter.
Javelosa said he was shocked when doctors and nurses, and other health workers went to his office and reported the incomplete release of their HEA.
The mayor said the P22 million HEA budget for Sagay had already been withdrawn on August 16, and was supposedly released to intended beneficiaries on August 19 to 22.
When Javelosa summoned Pinongan, the latter brought a lawyer with her and told the mayor that the remaining money was still in the vault. But she said she said she could not open the vault because she forgot the number combination.
She also told the mayor that she would also first reconcile the cash report and spot cash.
But Javelosa said Pinongan’s reasoning was “absurd” and “impossible” as she was the only one using the vault for past years.
Besides, it has been over one month that the HEA budget was withdrawn.
Pinongan, who could not be reached for comment yet, used to be an employee of the Provincial Treasurer’s Office at the capitol of Negros Occidental in Bacolod prior to her appointment as city treasurer of Sagay in 2018.
While as investigation was underway, Javelosa said Pinongan still reported to her office.
The mayor, however, temporarily assigned City Legal Officer Brent Donasco to supervise, for the meantime, the daily operations of the City Treasurer’s Office.
In May, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr touted the release of P59.8 billion, or 78.92% of the total P91.283 billion earmarked for HEA from 2021 to 2023 that also included compensation for COVID-19 sickness, death, meals, and transport allowances.
A total of 55,211 health all over the country were listed as beneficiaries of HEA, and were entitled to receive P5,000 for every month they served during the health pandemic. – Rappler.com
