Villanueva wants funds for health workers’ SRA, hazard pay in 2022 budget raised

FILE PHOTO: Senator Joel Villanueva. (Screen grab/Senate PRIB)

MANILA, Philippines — There should be a bigger allocation in the 2022 national budget for the special risk allowance (SRA) and active hazard duty pay (AHDP) of health workers, Senator Joel Villanueva said Monday.

Villanueva, chair of the Senate committee on labor, said an increase in the allocation for SRA and AHDP of health workers is “rightfully deserved.”

This would also allow more health workers to receive the allowance, he added.

“The virus does not discriminate. Why does the government distinguish on who to pay or not?” Villanueva said, pointing out that “current rules and fund limitation” bar certain types of contractual workers from getting additional compensation for dangerous work.

“Mas mataas na rate, malaking pondo, at mabilis na pagbibigay ng mga benepisyong pinagtatrabahuhan ng ating mga health workers,” he added.

According to Villanueva, a public health worker cannot receive more than P3,000 a month in AHDP. This means the maximum daily compensation would be P136 a day, the senator said.

Meanwhile, the ceiling for the SRA is P5,000 or P227 per day.

“Saan po makaabot ang P136 sa panahon natin ngayon? Kulang na po ito pang-taxi o Grab ng isang pagod na nurse. Hindi rin po sapat pambili ng value meal pagkatapos ng kalahating araw na duty sa COVID ward,” Villanueva said.

“The Senate, for sure, will collectively propose it once the supporting data are made available during the hearings for the 2022 national budget,” he added.