Health workers to Cebu City gov’t: Where are our cash incentives?

CEBU CITY–– Where are they?

A group of nurses, many of whom were on the front lines in the fight against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), asked the Cebu City government to fulfill its promise to give cash incentives to 1,800 healthcare professionals working in private hospitals.

Joseph Stephen Descallar, president of the Philippine Nurses Association (PNA) Cebu Chapter, said the group has been waiting for the financial assistance promised by the city two months ago to boost the morale of nurses, who were overwhelmed by the number of COVID-19 patients.

“Our nurses were very happy when they learned about the cash incentives from the city. But until now, they haven’t been delivered yet,” he said.

Mayor Edgardo Labella earlier requested the city council to allocate a budget of P54 million to be given as cash incentives to doctors, nurses, and other medical personnel working in the different private hospitals here.

The cash incentives amount to P10,000 a month for three months.

Descallar said the cash incentives would have been a huge help for nurses and other health care workers, who risked their lives while attending to those afflicted with the disease.

Nurses in government hospitals receive a monthly pay of P28,000, while those in private hospitals get P15,000.

Lawyer Rey Gealon, the spokesperson of City Hall, appealed to medical front liners to be patient since the city was still processing their incentives.

Gealon admitted that it was not that easy for the government to process this kind of budget since they were still bound by the rules and regulations of the Commission on Audit (COA).

“The mayor clarified that the process went through the auditing rules and regulations by the COA. It has been prepared by the budget office to the accounting then to the office of the City of Administrator for the mayor to sign it,” he said.

In a separate interview, Labella said his office planned to distribute the cash incentives for August before the end of September.

The cash incentives will be given in addition to the salaries received by the healthcare workers from private hospitals.

ZB