Cebu City Health Emergency Allowance Disbursement Data Revealed Amid Calls for Transparency
Based on payroll records, a total of 5,708 Cebu City Government employees and workers received the Health Emergency Allowance from 2021 to 2023. Disbursements peaked in 2022 before declining the following year, highlighting fluctuations in benefit distribution during the post-pandemic period.
Detailed Breakdown of Beneficiaries
City data provided a detailed breakdown of beneficiaries over the three-year span. In 2021, 1,774 workers benefited from the allowance. This number increased to 2,193 in 2022, reflecting a surge in disbursements, before dropping to 1,741 in 2023.
Among these recipients, regular, casual, and coterminous employees accounted for 701 beneficiaries in 2021, 1,178 in 2022, and 807 in 2023. Job order workers comprised 1,073 in 2021, 1,014 in 2022, and 934 in 2023. Notably, only one elected official was recorded to have received the allowance, specifically in 2022.
The figures were drawn from available payroll records processed for HEA disbursement, offering a snapshot of the city's efforts to support workers during the health crisis.
Data Limitations and Eligibility Clarifications
The Human Resource Development Office clarified that it does not maintain the official master list of eligible beneficiaries. Identification and validation are handled through the Health Emergency Allowance Processing System, in accordance with guidelines from the Department of Health and the Department of Budget and Management.
It added that Covid-19 risk exposure classification reports, prepared by health facilities such as the Cebu City Medical Center and the City Health Department, serve as the basis for determining qualified healthcare and non-healthcare workers. The office emphasized that concerns on eligibility, unpaid claims, and fund status should be directed to implementing units, including the CCMC, CCMC-Guba, the CHD, and the City Treasurer's Office.
City Council Seeks Greater Transparency
The disclosure comes amid renewed calls from the City Council for greater transparency in the release of pandemic-related benefits. City Councilor Pastor "Jun" Alcover filed a proposed resolution requesting the Office of the Mayor, the City Administrator, and the HRDO to submit a comprehensive report on the status of HEA implementation.
The measure seeks a breakdown of the total number of identified beneficiaries, those already paid, those still unpaid, and the reasons for delays. It also requires the City to report the total funds downloaded from the National Government, the amount already disbursed, and any remaining balance.
Delays and Unresolved Claims Persist
The resolution further calls for a clear timeline and action plan to ensure the full payment of all qualified recipients. Despite national directives, Cebu City remains among areas with unresolved HEA claims.
In late 2025, Alcover raised the issue in a privilege speech that led to an executive session, where city officials acknowledged that redundant clearances and documentation requirements slowed the disbursement process. The council later urged the executive branch to streamline procedures, but many health workers remain unpaid months later.
The DOH earlier stated it released P6.8 billion to cover more than 1.4 million HEA claims nationwide, stressing that qualified workers who served during the Covid-19 pandemic should receive their benefits once local government units complete required documentation and liquidation processes.
Alcover also pushed for broader financial transparency, filing a separate resolution seeking a full accounting of disaster-related funds, including the P153 million calamity fund for typhoon Tino response efforts and donations for relief and rehabilitation.
