Senator Raffy Tulfo wants the Department of Health (DOH) to cough up its hazard pay dues to healthcare workers (HCWs) before Christmas this year.
Tulfo, during the Senate Committee on Finance budget hearing with the DOH on Monday, Oct. 3, asked the agency about the delayed release of HCW allowance or hazard pay under Republic Act (RA) 11712.
“We have been communicating to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) about the release of additional funds for our HCWs. Just recently, one on Sept. 6 and one on Sept. 9, we have submitted to DBM our request for the release of funds for P11 billion and P1 billion respectively for this healthcare allowances,” DOH Officer-in-Charge (OIC) Maria Rosario Vergeire told Tulfo.
“Hopefully, DBM has mentioned to us they might release funds today so we might be able to provide HCWs yung kanilang (their) allowance,” she continued.
Tulfo then ordered the DOH to fulfill their obligation by December 2022, just in time for Christmas.
“Is it safe to say, before Christmas makukuha nila ang kanilang (they will get their) hazard pay? Sana bago mag pasko. Pera nila yan, pinaghirapan nila yan (Hopefully before Christmas. it’s their money, they earned it),” Tulfo asked.
“I want it given to them before Christmas time. You said nandun na sa (it’s with the) DBM, na-process na (already processed). I’m giving you at least two months. Siguro (Surely) by then natanggap na nila yan. Tama (they will have received their hazard pay. Correct)?” the Senator asserted.
Vergeire then bared to the Senate panel that they had “arrears” or unpaid debt to HCWs amounting to P64-billion.
“Kami po sa (we in the) DOH would want to provide due to our healthcare workers, unfortunately, we need additional funds. We have arrears to our healthcare workers which spans from July 2021 until this time, meron po kaming utang na P64-billion sa kanila dahil may retroactive provision ang ating (we have a debt of P64-billion to them because there is a retroactive provision in our) RA for Health Emergency Allowance,” the DOH OIC explained.
RA 11712 or Public Health Emergency Benefits and Allowances for Health Care Workers Act–which former President Rodrigo Duterte signed last April 2022–mandates that HCWs deployed to low, medium, and high-risk areas are entitled to P3,000; P6,000; and P9,000, in monthly hazard pay, respectively.
The measure has a retroactive provision, meaning that the law’s mandate includes the time elapsed since July 1, 2021.