Thousands of health workers in Cebu City who risked their lives as pandemic frontliners are still waiting for financial benefits promised to them by law, with delays now stretching for years. This issue has sparked renewed scrutiny and demands for accountability from city officials.
Years of Delay for Pandemic Frontliners
In a privilege speech delivered on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, Cebu City Councilor Pastor "Jun" Alcover Jr. revealed the ongoing plight of nearly 4,000 city health workers. These include nurses, barangay health workers, midwives, medical technologists, encoders, disaster responders, and support staff who served during the height of the COVID-19 crisis.
Alcover stated that these individuals have not received a single peso of their Health Emergency Allowance (HEA) for services rendered in 2021, 2022, and 2023. "Yet up to this day, wa gihapon sila makadawat sa Health Emergency Allowance nga gisaad sa balaod," he emphasized.
The allowances were mandated under Republic Act 11494 (Bayanihan 2) and Republic Act 11712. The law entitled workers to a fixed monthly HEA based on risk exposure: P3,000 for office-based personnel, P6,000 for field workers, and P9,000 for those in hospitals and high-exposure areas.
Administrative Failures and Lost Lists
Councilor Alcover pinpointed the root of the problem to administrative failures during the previous city administration, led by former mayor Michael Rama. He explained that the dissolution of pandemic-era offices like Project NOAH, the Cebu City Quarantine Center (CCQC), and the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) created chaos.
"The problem is that our offices submitted their lists to the DOH late. Many offices only existed during the pandemic and have since disappeared, which is why the processing became disorganized," Alcover said. With no designated focal person to manage the process, personnel who had resigned or moved on were not properly tracked, leading to incomplete submissions to the Department of Health (DOH).
Despite inclusion-exclusion proceedings conducted by the DOH and the city, many qualified workers were missing from final validated lists. Alcover objected to ongoing demands for additional documents like clearances and service records from some offices, arguing this only causes further delays for already-validated personnel.
Funds Released, But Payouts Stalled
Councilor Mikel Rama provided crucial context during the session, citing national announcements that the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) released P6.767 billion nationwide for HEA allocations to LGUs in November 2025. Records from the Cebu City Treasurer’s Office show the city already received P431,324,718 intended for HEA disbursement.
Rama strongly urged the Mayor's Office, City Health Department, City Accounting, City Treasurer’s Office, and the Management Information and Computer Services (MICS) unit to immediately process and complete the disbursement to all eligible personnel, including barangay health workers, on or before December 24, 2025.
While city offices have reportedly committed to this deadline, Alcover expressed deep concern because the actual payroll has not yet been received despite earlier promises. "This is why I have a headache over this. The funds are already there, and the list is ready. But until now, it still hasn’t been released," he stated.
The councilor framed the issue as a matter of justice for those who served at a time of great fear, before vaccines were available. "This is not just delayed paperwork. This is justice. It is only right that this government fulfills its obligation to them," Alcover concluded. The City Council now seeks an executive session to trace the fund trail and establish a clear plan for distribution.
