Senator Sonny Angara on Thursday, July 1 assured that benefits and other provisions for health care workers and frontliners in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic will continue despite the expiration of the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act or Bayanihan 2 last June 30.
Angara, who chairs the Senate Finance Committee and sponsor of Bayanihan 2, said many of the provisions under Republic Act 11519 or the law extending the availability of the Bayanihan 2 funds, will continue while the state of national emergency President Duterte has declared remains in place.
These include compensation for those who contract COVID-19 in the line of duty; the grant of special risk allowance; actual hazard duty pay for those serving in the front lines; medical expense coverage in case of exposure to COVID or work-related injury or disease; and the provision of life insurance, accommodation, transportation, and meals.
“One of the key features of Bayanihan 2 is the benefits provided to our heroic health workers who continuously put their lives at risk in order to save lives,” Angara said in a statement.
“It was the clear intent of Congress that the grant of these benefits should not cease even after Bayanihan 2 and the law extending the availability of B2 funding expires,” he said.
Under the law, public and private health workers who contract COVID-19 while in the line of duty are entitled to a P15,000 cash benefits in case of mild or moderate illness; P100,000 for severe and critical case; and P1-million in case of death.
Bayanihan 2 also provides continued financial relief to agrarian reform beneficiaries.
The senator also said the COVID-19 National Referral System—jointly developed by the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) and the Department of Health (DOH)—will be retained to provide patients immediate access to services of hospitals, clinics, isolation centers, other health facilities, blood banks, convalescent plasma facilities and ambulance systems.
Angara reiterated that the battle against the pandemic and its variants does not end with the expiry of these laws.
“We must continue to provide support to our health workers at least until the state of national emergency is lifted by the President,” the lawmaker stressed.