MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte directed Health Secretary Francisco Duque III to prioritize healthcare workers’ wages and benefits.
“By the way, itong mga front-liners unahin mo na lang. If there’s enough money, bayaran mo na (By the way, just put these front-liners first. If there’s enough money, then pay them),” Duterte said during his pre-recorded Talk to the People on Monday night.
Some groups of health professionals, particularly those from private institutions, have expressed dissatisfaction with the non-release of their special risk allowance (SRA) and the loss of other incentives.
Duterte has previously approved Administrative Order (AO) 42, which gives Covid-19 SRA of up to PHP5,000 per month to private and public health personnel who have direct contact with Covid-19 patients.
Duterte signed the AO “to recognize the heroic and invaluable contribution of our health workers throughout the country, who bravely and unselfishly risk their lives and health by being at the forefront of national efforts to respond to the pandemic.”
The government’s Bayanihan 2 budget includes at least PHP15 billion for SRA and hazard compensation for health workers.
Last year, Duterte also approved AO No. 36, which grants risk allowance to health staff directly attending to Covid-19 patients from September 15 to December 19, 2020.
