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Removing bottlenecks in the distribution of health workers’ allowance: Sen. Joel Villanueva, one of the principal sponsors of Republic Act 11509 or the Doktor para sa Bayan Act, asks the Department of Health (DOH) to eliminate the bottlenecks in the distribution of benefits for healthcare workers and “to craft clear and consistent guidelines that will allow this to happen seamlessly.” During the hybrid plenary session deliberating on the proposed P400.9 billion DOH budget Wednesday, November 17, 2021, Villanueva said while he is thankful that funds for these allowances and benefits to medical and non-medical healthcare workers are included in the budget, equally or more important, is ensuring that the healthcare workers actually receive these funds, timely and in full amount. “We are aiming for a budget that is responsive to the present times, a budget that prioritizes and ensures an effective pandemic response that will help hasten recovery efforts,” Villanueva said. (Joseph Vidal/ Senate PRIB)