Palace: Hazard pay of health workers should not be reduced

The hazard pay of health care workers should not be reduced, the spokesperson of President Rodrigo Duterte said on Tuesday.

In a briefing, Secretary Harry Roque said the Department of Health was already looking into reports that health workers who had to go into quarantine after being exposed to COVID-19 in the hospitals had their hazard reduced.

The Alliance of Health Workers and the Employees' Union of Philippine Orthopedic Center has asked the government to grant the hazard and special risk allowance pay to health workers even for days that they were on quarantine after being exposed to COVID-19 in the hospitals.

“Hindi po niri-reduce ang hazard pay dahil ang hazard pay po na iyan ay sang-ayon po sa isang order ng ating Presidente," Roque said.

"Pero naparating na po natin sa DOH ang concerns at ang sabi naman po ni Undersecretary Vega ay tinitingnan po nila kung ano—at bakit may ganitong mga report na binabawasan ang hazard pay,” he added.

[Their hazard pay should not be reduced because it is in accordance with the order of the President. But we have informed DOH about Health Undersecretary Bong Vega said they are looking into it.]

Health workers are entitled to P5,000 special risk allowance and P3,000 active duty hazard pay per month based on Administrative Orders 35 and 36 which Duterte issued in November 2020.

The Philippines has 71,675 active COVID-19 cases so far. Of this number, 7,204 new COVID-19 cases were recorded on April 27. --Llanesca T, Panti/NB, GMA News