MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) has delivered all the mandated compensation for all but two of the families of all health care workers who died or became severely ill from COVID-19.
“Thirty out of 32 heirs of [the workers] who died received their P1 million check. The other two have their relatives abroad and we are still coordinating with their families how they can get the money,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire told reporters on Tuesday.
According to her, the families of the two dead workers are in the United States and in the United Kingdom.
Meanwhile, all of the 19 medical frontliners who contracted COVID-19 had received their P100,000 checks, the DOH spokesperson said.
Under the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act (Republic Act No. 11469), health workers who become severely ill in the line of duty will get a compensation of P100,000, while the family of those who died of COVID-19 in the line of duty will get P1 million.
Also on Tuesday, the DOH made a last-ditch effort to release the delayed sickness and death benefits for health care workers most affected by the coronavirus in a bid to beat the deadline set by President Rodrigo Duterte.
The President earlier expressed disappointment over the delayed distribution of the law-mandated compensation, even threatening to fire some DOH officials.
/atm