Angara to DOH: Give health workers their hazard allowance

Senator Sonny Angara reminded the Department of Health (DOH) on Thursday that apart from the special risk allowance (SRA) to health workers, they are also entitled to hazard allowance as the frontliners in the country’s battle against Covid-19

Citing Section 21 of Republic Act 7305 or the Magna Carta of Public Health Workers, Angara said that during this pandemic government health frontliners are entitled to hazard allowance equivalent to at least twenty-five percent of the monthly basic salary of health workers receiving salary grade 19 and below, and five percent for health workers with salary grade 20 and above.

The Senate finance chief said health workers, including the nurses should be provided with the hazard allowance already using the Magna Carta of Public Health Workers, which was authored by his father, the late former Senate President Edgardo Angara, as the legal basis.

Angara brought up the issue of the hazard allowance after it was noted during the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearings on the utilization of funds by the DOH that the grant of SRA to health workers ended when the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act or Bayanihan 2 expired last June 30.

He emphasized that the grant of SRA to private and public health workers should continue even after the expiration of Bayanihan 2 for as long as the state of national emergency as declared by President Rodrigo Duterte is in place.

“Sinasabi nila na ang SRA nag expire daw with Bayanihan 2, which we don’t agree with. May liberal approach tayo dito and we have spoken to some legal personalities and nakakalungkot na kung sino pa ang naatasan magbantay at magalaga dito sa ating health workers, siya pa ang hindi pabor doon sa pagbigay,” Angara said.

Many health workers are up in arms over the delays in the downloading of their benefits, including the SRA since last year.

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