House panel OKs measure seeking grant of continuous benefits for healthcare workers

The House appropriations committee has approved the measure seeking to provide continuous benefits for public and private health workers as well as barangay health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and future health emergencies.

The substitute bill for House Bills 9640, 10198, 10285, 10331 and 10365 have been approved during a virtual meeting on Monday.

Senior Citizens party-list Representative Rodolfo Ordanes, one of the principal authors of the bill and a member of the House committee on health, said they accept the recommendations of the appropriations panel, which include the deletion of the active hazard duty pay, the life insurance, as well as the accommodation, meals, and transportation allowances.

This as the Department of Health (DOH) has pushed for a more inclusive and "singular" COVID-19 allowance for medical frontliners.

Davao de Oro Representative Ruwel Gonzaga moved for the adoption of the recommendations and approve the report, subject to style. The motion was then carried.

Progressive lawmakers France Castro, Carlos Isagani Zarate, and Sarah Elago have reservations on the proposed amendments made by the committee, noting that they will raise these at the plenary.

"'Yun nga po 'yung reservation natin sa bahagi ko po, isa po sa isinisulong talaga natin 'yung mga risk allowance, transportation at saka 'yung meals," Castro said.

Health Assistant Secretary Maylene Beltran said the DOH supports the intent of the measures, which aim to universally accord benefits for healthcare workers who are at the frontlines of the pandemic.

"While the Department of Health supports the intent profounded by the bills, it, however, proposes that a singular allowance will be offered, which will cover and substitute for all the benefits enumerated in the bills," Beltran said.

"In addition, the rate of the allowance will vary according to the risk exposure of the healthcare worker in particular work settings. They can be either low, medium or high risk of exposure," she added.

For the part of the Department of Budget and Management, it supports the measure, however, it raised concern on the actual requirement of magnitude given the fiscal position of the government.

The substitute bill also states that in case of death, P1 million shall be provided to the heirs of the covered individuals while in case of sickness, for a severe or critical case, P100,000 shall be provided to them.

Further, those with mild or moderate case will be given P15,000.

The compensation provided in the proposed measure shall be given to the beneficiaries not later than three months after the date of confinement or death. — Anna Felicia Bajo/RSJ, GMA News