Para sulit pagod: Bayan Muna seeks bigger pay for health workers during public health emergencies

By Billy Begas

The Makabayan bloc has filed a measure seeking to grant special risk allowance (SRA) and active hazard duty pay to all healthcare workers during state of public health emergency.

House Deputy Minority Leader and Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate said “as they take care of us and risk their lives doing so, we should also take care of all our health workers. Calling them as heroes but treating them shabbily is not right and must be corrected.”

Under House Bill 9640, the SRA will amount to P15,000 and P5,000 for the hazard pay to be given in monthly basis and is not pro-rated.

An initial P70.5 billion will be appropriated to implement the measure.

“Regrettably, the current special risk allowance and active hazard duty pay received by the health workers are insufficient and limited,” the explanatory note of the measure read.

Pursuant to Administrative Order 35 and 36 signed by President Rodrigo Duterte, public and private health workers are entitled to SRA not exceeding P5,000 while the frontline human resources for health are entitled to active hazard duty pay not exceeding P3,000.

Based on Department of Health (DOH) Memorandum 2021-0221 only public health workers catering to COVID-19 patients or providing COVID-19 healthcare response are entitled to hazard pay, subsistence, and laundry allowance.

It also excluded healthcare workers hired without an employer-employee relationship like contractual workers and those who are not directly catering to COVID-19 patients or COVID-19 related health services.

Based on the proposal, all healthcare workers will be given SRA and hazard pay “in recognition of the crucial roles and contributions.”

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Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)