Go to DOH, Duque: ‘Don’t lose heart; Duterte trusts you’

Senator Bong Go backed President Rodrigo Duterte’s recent directive to the Department of Health to make sure that health worker benefits are immediately and sufficiently disbursed as provided by law.

The chair of the Senate health committee said health workers are on the frontlines in the war against Covid-19. “Hence, the government should not waste time or resources in providing doctors, nurses and other qualified medical personnel what is due to them,” he said.

“Ang ating mga medical frontliners ang ating sundalo sa laban na ito. Sinasakripisyo nila ang buhay nila para lang maisalba ang buhay ng ating kapwa. Kaya kung anuman ang dapat nila matanggap, ibigay na agad at huwag nang ipagpaliban pa,” Go said.

During his talk to the people on Tuesday night, Duterte asked Health Secretary Francisco Duque III to make sure that the payment of health workers’ allowances remains a top priority.

“Itong frontliners, unahin mo na lang, if there is enough money, bayaran mo,” Duterte said.

Under the Bayanihan 2 law, at least P15 billion has been earmarked for the payment of health workers’ special risk allowance and hazard pay, which has been been released to hospitals, according to DOH Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega.

The DOH spent P10.85 billion for the special risk allowance (SRA) of 740,958 health workers, and another P4.24 billion for the hazard pay of 864,843 frontliners, according to Health Undersecretary Vega.

The DOH clarified that healthcare workers who failed to receive their special risk allowance and hazard pay may have lacked several requirements to avail of these monetary benefits.

Go commended the DOH for acting on the President’s directive and for their efforts in leading the country’s Covid-19 response and management of the pandemic.

He also urged them to remain focused on their tasks at hand despite the criticisms, emphasizing that their job is to save lives.

“Naiintindihan ko na mahirap ang trabaho ng DOH ngayon pero huwag po sana kayo paghinaan ng loob dahil buo ang suporta at tiwala namin ni Pangulong Duterte sa inyo,” he said.

“Kayo ang mas nakakaalam sa laban na ito. Kayo ang nagtatrabaho para mailigtas ang buhay ng mga Pilipino,” Go said.

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