Bill makes higher pay mandatory for health workers during pandemics

Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. —Photo screengrab from House of Representatives YouTube livestream

MANILA, Philippines — A bill filed by Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. will make it mandatory for healthcare workers to receive higher minimum wages and additional benefits and allowances during pandemics, epidemics, and other public health emergencies as compensation for their hard work and dedication.

In filing House Bill No. 11023, or the proposed Healthcare Workers Act, Abante said that “healthy, dedicated, and efficient healthcare workers or providers mean healthy people and a healthy nation, the people being the most important asset of a nation.”

“We cannot put a price tag on the sacrifices and dedication of our selfless healthcare workers or providers, which they have for a long time exhibited,” he added, saying that this was proven at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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“This bill, therefore, seeks to recognize and compensate the hard work, critical and sacrificial role, and invaluable kindness of our healthcare workers or providers in providing quality and prompt healthcare services,” he said.

P250 rate hike

The bill, which covers both private and public medical front-liners assigned to health facilities and establishments, sets a P250 increase in their daily rate upon its effectivity.

In case of a public health emergency, they will also be given health emergency allowances (HEA) “for every month of service during the state of emergency based on the risk exposure categorization as may be determined and defined by the Department of Health (DOH).”

The HEA for those deployed to low-risk areas will be set at P2,000, P3,500 for those in medium-risk areas, and P5,500 for those in high-risk areas.

“Where a wage distortion occurs as a result of the increase in the minimum wage under this Act, the employer and the union, or the employer and the workers in the absence of a union, shall negotiate to correct the distortion,” the bill states.

It also tasks the DOH to set up a grievance mechanism for the investigation, adjudication, and settlement of complaints regarding noncompliance with benefits under the bill.

The Department of Labor and Employment, on the other hand, should “conduct an inspection of payroll and other financial records kept by private health facilities to determine whether these health-care workers or providers are paid the prescribed minimum wage increase and/or allowances provided in this act and other benefits granted by law.”