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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Bong Go renews call to DBM: 'Give healthcare workers their unpaid Covid-19 allowances'

Bong Go renews call to DBM: 'Give healthcare workers their unpaid Covid-19 allowances'

Published Apr 28, 2023 01:36 am
  The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) should expedite the release of the unpaid allowances of healthcare workers (HCWs), Senator Christopher “Bong” Go said.   Go, chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, reiterated his call following a recent report that about 20,000 private HCWs have yet to receive their COVID-19 allowances.   “Nananawagan po ako sa ating Department of Budget and Management at sa ating Department of Health. As Chair po ng Committee on Health sa Senado, legislator po ako, mambabatas. Kami po ang nag-aaprub ng budget pero ang nagpapatupad nito ay ang ating Executive Department (I appeal to our DBM and our DOH. As chair of the Senate health committee, as a lawmaker. We approved the budget so the Executive department can implement this),” Go pointed out in an ambush interview in San Jose de Buenavista, Antique recently.   “What is due to them, bayaran kaagad (we should immediately pay them),” he urged.   According to the United Private Hospital Unions of the Philippines (UPHUP), 20,304 healthcare workers who rendered duty in private hospitals during the pandemic have not yet received their mandated Covid-19 benefits and allowances amounting to P1.94-billion from October 2021 onwards.   UPHUP also added that the government has incurred P1,840,742,500 in arrears for the one COVID-19 allowance (OCA); special risk allowance (SRA); health emergency allowance (HEA); and meals, accommodation, and transportation (MAT) benefits for the HCWs.   Go emphasized the need to give frontliners due importance since they sacrificed much during the pandemic.    “Alam n’yo, napakaliit lang po ‘yan na halaga katumbas ng sakripisyo ng ating mga frontliners. Bigyan po natin ng importansya ang ating mga frontliners po. Sila po ang nagsakripisyo sa panahon ng pandemya. Hindi po natin mararating ito kung hindi po sa ating mga frontliners (You know, that's a very small amount compared to the sacrifice of our frontliners. Let's give importance to our frontliners. They are the ones who sacrificed during the pandemic. We cannot reach this without our frontliners),” the senator said.   Go also pointed out there is P19.962-billion allocated for public health emergency benefits and allowances for healthcare and non-healthcare workers under the 2023 national budget.    The senator also noted there is the P52.962-billion that is unprogrammed. “That means, they will still find funds for this, so I hope that if there is excess revenue collection, immediately give what is due to our healthcare workers. Their sacrifice, poor healthcare workers. The rest of them risked their lives and sacrificed," he stressed.   Both public and private HCWs are covered by Republic Act 11712 or the law that grants mandatory continuing benefits and allowances to HCWs during the Covid-19 pandemic or other public health emergencies.    Under the law, public and private HCWs are entitled to health emergency allowance for every month of service during a state of public health emergency based on the risk categorization.      

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