President Duterte has signed into law the measure, which grants the mandatory continuing benefits to public and private healthcare workers during the Covid-19 pandemic and other public health emergencies of a national scale.

Duterte signed Republic Act (RA) No. 11712, or the Public Health Emergency Benefits and Allowances for Health Care Workers Act, on April 27, 2022.

The new law covers all healthcare and non-healthcare workers, regardless of employment status, during the Covid-19 pandemic or other public health emergencies of a national scale that may be declared in the future, from the time the president declared the public health emergency until he lifted it.

The benefits granted by RA 11712 will have a retroactive application from July 1, 2021.

Health emergency allowance

The government shall grant a health emergency allowance (HEA) every month of service during the state of public health emergency based on risk exposure categorization:

• P3,000 for those deployed in low-risk areas
• P6,000 for those deployed in medium-risk areas
• P9,000 for those deployed in high-risk areas

The HEA is in addition to the existing benefits that healthcare and non-healthcare workers receive. It will be released in full if the worker physically renders service for at least 96 hours a month; otherwise, the benefit shall be prorated.

The Department of Health (DOH) may increase the amounts of the HEA subject to the approval of the President.

Affected by Covid-19

The new law also covers healthcare and non-healthcare workers who contract Covid-19 in the line of duty.

In case of death, the heirs of the covered individuals will receive P1 million.

Workers who get sick and will be treated as serve or critical cases will receive P100,000, while mild and moderate cases shall be provided with P15,000.

The compensation shall be given to the beneficiaries within three months after confinement or death and upon submitting complete requirements.

What are public health emergencies?

Based on the new law, a public health emergency is an occurrence or imminent threat of an illness or health condition of a national scale.

An event may be considered a public health emergency if any of the following causes it:

• Bioterrorism
• The appearance of a novel or previously controlled or eradicated infectious agent or biological toxin
• A natural disaster
• A chemical attack or accidental release
• A nuclear attack or accident
• An attack or accidental release of radioactive materials

Events that pose a high probability of any of the following are also considered public health emergencies:

• A large number of deaths in the affected population
• A large number of serious injuries or long-term disabilities in the affected population
• Widespread exposure to an infectious or toxic agency that poses a significant risk of substantial harm to a large number of people in the affected population
• International exposure to an infectious or toxic agent that poses a significant risk to the health of citizens of other countries
• Trade and travel restrictions

Risk exposure categorization

The new law defined low-risk exposure as health workers performing administrative duties in non-public areas of health facilities, away from other staff members or away from patients, otherwise known as “clean areas.”

Medium-risk exposure is health workers within the health facility who provide direct physical care to the general public who are not known or suspected Covid-19 patients and work in busy work areas within a health facility.

On the other hand, high-risk exposure is health workers entering a Covid-19 patient’s room directly to provide care for patients involving aerosol-generating procedures or invasive specimen collection.