The approved bill granting mandatory continuing benefits to public, private and barangay health and non-health workers while the COVID-19 pandemic continues to threaten public health remains inadequate for medical frontliners who put lives in jeopardy to help the sick.
Deputy Minority Leader and Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate aired misgivings about the ratified bicameral committee report of the Senate and Lower House versions of the bill that does not include “several rightful demands” of the health sector.
The two legislative chambers ratified the bicameral committee report before suspending sessions for the long election break. The reconciled bill was expected to be sent to Malacanang for President Duterte’s signature.
"This will now institutionalize additional benefits to our health care and non-health care workers, both in the public and private institutions, in this time of pandemic and other health emergencies," Zarate said.
However, the opposition stalwart criticized the non-inclusion of active hazard duty pay (AHDP), meals, accommodation and transportation (MAT) allowance as among the benefits health workers will get for reporting for duty during the COVID-19 crisis and other future public health emergencies.
"The benefits provided now in the ratified bill are not just be limited to the current Covid pandemic but other health emergencies as well. Healthworkers, including, baranggay health workers (BHW), will receive these benefits retroactive to July 1, 2021 and without diminution of benefits already being received," noted Zarate.
"Now that it has hurdled Congress, we strongly urge Pres. Duterte for its immediate signing into law so tha our health frontliners can already get their long overdue benefits," he stated.
To be known as the Public Health Emergency Benefits and Allowances for Health Care Workers Act, the reconciled bill Under the bill health emergency allowance shall be distributed to health care and non-health care workers as follows: -P3,000 monthly allowance to those deployed in low risk areas -P6,000 monthly allowance to those deployed in medium risk areas -P9,000 monthly allowance to those deployed in high risk areas.
Aside from the current pandemic, public health emergency, under the bill, refers to an occurrence of imminent threat of an illness or health condition of national scale caused by bio-terrorism, novel or previously contolled infectious agent or biological toxin, natural disaster, chemical attack or accidental release, nuclear attack or accident and attack or accidental release of radioactive materials.