COTABATO CITY: Health workers from government and private facilities across the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) started receiving their long-delayed health emergency allowance (HEA) on Monday, providing much-needed support as the holiday season approaches. "This release is timely, especially with the holiday season drawing near," Dr. Kadil Sinolinding Jr., BARMM's health minister, said in a statement following a dialogue with some 4,000 recipients of the allowance. According to Philippines News Agency, the past week has seen a surge in activity among personnel from the Ministry of Health (MOH), who have been working intensively to expedite the fund distribution process. Sinolinding said the HEA covers both essential healthcare workers and non-health volunteers who provided services during the Covid-19 pandemic, regardless of employment status. Eligible health workers will receive monthly allowances ranging from PHP3,000 to PHP9,000, depending on the level of risk in their assigned ar eas-categorized as low, moderate, or high risk. Sinolinding also expressed gratitude to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., BARMM Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim, and the Department of Health (DOH) Central Office for their role in facilitating the release of the funds for BARMM health workers. The release of the HEA is part of the government's broader commitment to recognize the invaluable contributions of healthcare professionals who risked their lives to combat Covid-19.