MANILA, Philippines — The Makati City government has earmarked P124.45 million for the hazard pay and special risk allowance of all qualified city hall frontliners who have reported for duty during the period of the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine.
The Sangguniang Panlungsod passed on Wednesday City Ordinance No. 2020-092 authorizing the allocation of the amount for the said compensation based on provisions of City Ordinance No. 2018-013, which grants occupational duty risk pay for eligible city government personnel rendering hazardous work related to disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM).
“In this time of crisis and confusion, I am very proud that we have frontliners who have stepped up to the challenge. Apart from our healthcare professionals and allied workers, our DRRM Office team, supported by the essential workforce of various offices, have worked day and night to ensure that basic services and distribution of food packs and financial assistance continue unhampered,” Mayor Abby Binay said in a statement on Friday.
“It is only right that we extend them hazard pay and risk allowance because they also risk their lives every day to serve our Makatizens amid the pandemic,” she said.
The payment of occupational duty risk pay will be based on the actual services rendered by the employee, according to Mayor Binay.
She added this benefit will be extended to regular, casual, and contractual personnel of the city government who are exposed to “great danger” in performing their jobs. Occupational risk, perils of life and physical hardship in the performance of work are also considered in granting occupational duty risk pay.
Binay noted that under the 2018 city ordinance, job order employees and personnel already receiving hazard pay are excluded from additional risk allowances. These include employees of the Ospital ng Makati, Makati Health Department, Makati Social Welfare Department, and the city units of the Bureau of Fire Protection, Philippine National Police, and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology.
As of 4 p.m. Thursday, Makati City recorded a total of 318 confirmed coronavirus disease cases. Of this number, eight have died and 44 have recovered.
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