Senator Juan Edgardo "Sonny" Angara has asked Health Secretary Francisco Duque III for the status of the distribution of benefits for health workers as provided for under the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act, or Bayanihan 2.
The chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance on Friday, March 12, wrote to Duque to request an update on the benefits for health care workers after protests that some have yet to receive any of their allowances and compensation as mandated by the law.
"This is relation to the recent news reports of health workers from the National Kidney and Transplant Institute expressing concern over their 'withheld' meals, transportation and accommodation allowances," Angara, who sponsored the Bayanihan 2 in Senate, specified in his letter.
He also asked Duque for the Department of Health's comments on the concerns of the health workers.
In his letter, Angara noted that the Bayanihan 2 provides for a "COVID-19 special risk allowance" for all public and private health workers directly catering to or in contact with COVID-19 patients, which shall be provided for every month that they are serving during the state of national emergency.
He also cited the provision on compensation for public and private health workers who have contracted COVID-19 in the line of duty.
The law also mandates for the provision of life insurance, accommodation, transportation and meals to all public and private health workers during the state of national emergency as declared by the President, regardless of the community quarantine status.
A total of P13.5 billion was allocated for the provision of these benefits, as well as the continuous employment and hiring of emergency human resource for health and augmentation of DOH hospitals.
The law, signed on September 11, 2020, mandates President Duterte to submit a monthly report of its implementation to Congress and to the Commission on Audit.
Last December 29, Duterte signed the law extending the validity and release of the Bayanihan 2 appropriations until June 30, 2021.
On Thursday, health workers in the NKTI staged a noise barrage to demand the release of the P82-million budget for these allowances earmarked for the period of September 1 to December 31, 2020.
Each employee should receive P38,500 in cash and gift checks, as reportedly agreed upon by the hospital management and the employees' union.