CONGRESSMEN yesterday approved at the committee level a watered-down version of a bill seeking to grant all public and private health workers benefits until the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The House committee on appropriations approved in principle a substitute bill entitled “COVID-19 Benefits for Health workers Act of 2021,” which mandates the benefits should be available so long as the presidential declaration of national public health emergency is in place.
The measure substituted House Bill 9640 filed by Bayan Muna Party-list Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate; HB 10198 by Parañaque City Rep. Joy Myra Tambunting; HB 10285 by BHW Party-list Rep. Angelica Natasha Co; HB 10331 by Quezon City Rep. Alfred Vargas; and HB 10365 by Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund “LRay” Villafuerte Jr.
The measure, which was earlier approved by the committee on health, provides a special risk allowance (SRA) for all health workers for every month of service and active hazard duty pay in the amount of P5,000 for every month served by the health workers.
Health workers who contract mild or moderate COVID-19 will be given P15,000 each; P100,000 for severe or critical cases; and in case of death, the amount of P1 million to the heirs.
Zarate noted that data from the Department of Health (DOH) shows that as of May 25, 2021, 18,539 health workers have been infected with the virus and 95 of them died.
However, lawmakers struck down the original proposal to provide active hazard duty pay, life insurance, as well as the accommodation, meals, and transportation allowances in the light of the DOH’s call for a single allowance for health workers and the reservations raised by the Department of Budget and Management over the funding requirements of the bill.
Davao de Oro Rep. Ruwel Gonzaga moved for the adoption of the recommendations and approve the report, which was approved by the panel chaired by Rep. Eric Yap (PL, ACT-CIS).
Makabayan lawmakers Reps. Carlos Zarate (PL, Bayan Muna), France Castro (PL, ACT), Sarah Elago (PL, Kabataan) vowed to question the removal of the other proposed benefits when the bill reaches the plenary.
Zarate lamented that the current SRA and active hazard duty pay being received by the health workers are insufficient and limited, pointing out that President Duterte’s Administrative Order Nos. 35 and 36 provide that health workers are only 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.
Moreover, he said based on DOH Memorandum No. 2021-0221, only public health workers catering to COVID-19 patients or providing COVID-19 healthcare response during the state of national emergency, medical and allied professionals, and administrative and support personnel are entitled to hazard pay, subsistence and laundry allowance.
Several benefits were given to health workers under Republic Act No. 11494, otherwise known as the “Bayanihan to Recover as One Act” or Bayanihan 2, which lapsed on June 30 last year.
In his sponsorship speech, Rep. Rodolfo Ordanes (PL, Senior Citizens) said the substitute bill stands on the policy that recognizes the “paramount importance of public and private health workers for the continuous delivery of health services and disease prevention.”
