Allowances not affected by end of state of calamity
PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. yesterday said health workers will continue to receive their COVID-19 allowances despite the expiration of the state of calamity.
In a meeting with officials of the Department of Health in Malacañang, the President said he was initially concerned that the health workers would stop receiving the benefits because the state of calamity has ended. However, he said, a study showed that the allowances would not be affected if he did not extend the period for the state of calamity.
The country was placed under a six-month state of calamity in March 2020 through Proclamation No. 929 issued by then-President Rodrigo Duterte, amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The calamity period was twice extended. Marcos, in September last year, also issued an extension. The state of calamity period ended on Dec. 31, 2022.
Marcos in late December said he was “hesitant” to extend the state of calamity declaration because the country, “technically,” is no longer under a state of calamity.
The DOH has sought an extension, saying the a lifting would invalidate the emergency use authorization and compassionate special permits issued by the Food and Drug Administration for COVID-19 vaccines and medications.
The Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines Inc. president has also expressed concern that the COVID-19 allowances of some 200,000 to 300,000 medical frontliners might be affected.
Marcos said, “Tuloy-tuloy ‘yan… Yung inaalala ko dati na hindi matutuloy ang compensation para sa ating health workers… ‘yung allowance nila ay pinag-aralan namin nang mabuti.
Kahit hindi itinutuloy ang state of calamity ay hindi maapektuhan ang pagbayad doon sa ating mga health workers ng kanilang mga benefits (“That will continue… I was worried before that the compensation of health workers might be halted. We studied their allowances thoroughly. Even if the state of calamity will not be extended, the payment of the benefits of the health workers will not be affected),” he said.
The COVID health risk allowance ranges from P3,000 to P9,000 a month depending on the level of COVID-19 exposure or risk classification of an area where the healthcare worker is deployed.
At least 1.6 million healthcare workers have benefited from the health risk allowance as of end 2022.
The Presidential Communications Office (PCO), in its website, said DOH officials reported on the status of the pandemic and the expected arrival in March of one million doses of bivalent vaccines, or those aimed at specific COVID-19 variants such as Omicron, from the COVAX facility. They also talked about the implementation of the Universal Health Care Act.
A release from the PCO said the President acknowledged the arrival of 1.3 million doses of the vaccine, also from the COVAX facility, recently, which he said is sufficient for the country for now as the number of infections is declining.
Marcos said even hospital admission due to COVID-19 has gone down.
“Hindi na kailangan kagaya ng 2021 na lagi tayong nagmamadali makakuha ng vaccine dahil pabawas na ‘yung risk, so dapat naman eh mag-adjust din tayo doon sa kung ano ba talaga ang scientific na assessment doon sa sitwasyon ng COVID (We do not need it as much as we did in 2021 or when we are seeking vaccines because the risk is getting low, so we should adjust based on the scientific assessment on the COVID situation),” he said.
The DOH said that as of January 29, there were 9,982 active COVID-19 cases including 1,206 cases recorded from January 23 to 29.
The DOH also said that at least 73 million individuals, or 94.54 percent of the target population, are fully vaccinated while 21 million individuals have received booster shots.
The World Health Organization earlier this week said COVID-19 remains a public health emergency of international concern.
