LANAO del Sur 1st District Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong is calling on both the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and the Department of Health (DOH) to explain why funding for COVID-19 health worker payments was included in the proposed 2026 budget, despite claims that these payments were already made in 2025.
Adiong’s remarks came after the Budget Amendments Review Sub-committee (BARSc) decided to realign the P6.8 billion allocated for healthcare workers, a decision made in consultation with the DOH. While Adiong admitted he lacked specific details, he agreed that including line items for completed programs raises concerns.
“Well, one would think of it that way,” Adiong said when asked if the health worker allowance line item was suspicious. “Because if it is already paid, of course, it should not be there. So again, it’s something that our executive department (should explain), but I’m pretty sure that they have the answer for that.”
Adiong explained that the issue came to light after agencies approached the BARSc, a sub-panel of the appropriations committee, seeking prioritization for certain projects. The DOH reportedly informed the BARSc that the COVID-19 payments had already been made, leading to the decision to remove the funding from the proposed 2026 budget.
