Public health care workers’ special risk allowance in the offing

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Budget and Management is now drafting an executive issuance on the granting of a special risk allowance for public health workers as the country fights the coronavirus disease  2019 (COVID-19).

This was according to the report submitted by President Rodrigo Duterte to Congress on Tuesday following the signing of Republic Act No. 11469 or the Bayanihan To Heal As One Act.

Section 4 (d) of the law states seeks to “ensure that all public health workers are protected by providing them with a ‘COVID-19 special risk allowance’.”

The special risk allowance is on top of the hazard pay granted under the Magna Carta of Public Health Workers or Republic Act No. 7305.

R.A. No. 7305 defines health workers as “all persons who are engaged in health and health-related work, and all persons employed in hospitals, sanitary, health infirmaries, health centers, rural health units, barangay health stations, clinics, and other health-related establishments owned and operated by the Government or its political subdivisions with original charters and shall include medical, allied health professional, administrative and support personnel employed regardless of their employment status.”

Hazard pay can be as high as 25 percent of their monthly basic salary, depending on their pay grade.

The Department of Health (DOH) said there are 1,546 cases of COVID-19 in the country as of Monday afternoon.

The number of patients who died from the disease has increased to 78 while recoveries remained at 42.

GSG