Senator Risa Hontiveros on Wednesday slammed the Department of Health’s (DOH) attempt to deliberately leave out private health workers from availing themselves of their hazard pay when it imposed a one-day deadline to submit the requirements before they could get their benefits.
“Parang nananadya na yata (It seems intentional). Not only have our health workers been put under inhumane conditions in this pandemic, but it looks like we’re also exploiting them,” Hontiveros said in a statement.
“If the reports are true, bakit natin ipinagkakait ang kakarampot na suweldo at benepisyo (why are we holding off their measly salary and benefits ) that is rightfully theirs? It's time to put an end to these false hopes,” she added.
Hontiveros pointed out she just filed a resolution asking the Senate to investigate the delay in the release of special risk allowance for the country’s health workers.
“Dumagdag pa ito (And this problem added up). We join the calls of our private health workers for a one-week extension, which is just and reasonable especially that it is mandated under the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act (BARO) that they receive compensation for services rendered until Dec. 19,” the senator stressed.
“Huwag nating pahirapan ang ating mga health workers na makuha ang benepisyong dapat sa kanila. (Let’s not make it difficult for our health workers to get the benefits due them). (We have) 408,790 Filipinos (who) have recovered from COVID-19. We have no one else to thank but our health workers,” she reiterated.
Earlier, the unions of some private hospitals in Metro Manila had asked Health Secretary Francisco Duque III to extend the “arbitrary deadline” on Dec. 9 to be able to submit all the requirements needed to receive their active duty hazard pay and special risk allowance.
Failure to comply with the deadline would mean that their extra pay provided for them under the law would be forfeited.
According to the unions, the deadline came as a surprise to both hospital management and employees since they were not given any notices nor announcements about the documentary requirements for the said benefits.