Senate bill: Financial aid to kin of healthcare workers who succumbed to COVID-19
MANILA, Philippines — Families of healthcare workers who succumbed to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) while on duty will receive a P1 million in financial assistance, according to a recently approved measure which is now up for President Duterte’s signature.
On Tuesday, the Senate approved Senate Bill 1418 which would grant “necessary” powers to adopt several “temporary emergency measures” to deal with COVID-19 pandemic.
Under the bill, which was adopted by the House of Representatives, public and private health workers infected by the virus will be given compensation of P100,000.
Financial aid of P1 million would also be extended to families of those who contracted the virus and died while on duty, effective retroactively.
Dr. Raul Diaz Jara, a doctor from the Philippine Heart Center and was among those working in the frontline of the fight against the disease, passed away Tuesday morning.
Reacting to this, Senator Panfilo Lacson said “one doesn’t need to know him personally to feel the grief.”
“If it’s any consolation at all, the P1M death claim, among other benefits granted to public and private COVID 19 health workers has retroactive application,” Lacson said over Twitter.
One doesn’t need to know him personally to feel the grief. If it’s any consolation at all, the P1M death claim, among other benefits granted to public and private COVID 19 health workers has retroactive application. The measure is now an Enrolled Bill for the President’s approval
— PING LACSON (@iampinglacson) March 24, 2020
“The measure is now an Enrolled Bill for the President’s approval,” he added.
To date, the Philippines has 501 confirmed COVID-19 cases and a death toll of 33, while 19 patients have fully recovered.
GSG
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