MANILA, Philippines — Healthcare workers from four of the country’s leading specialty hospitals held a “lunch break” protest on Wednesday, January 21, to demand the immediate release of their unpaid medical allowance for 2025, amounting to P7,000 each.
The protest involved staff from the Philippine Heart Center (PHC), National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI), Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC), and the Lung Center of the Philippines (LCP). While these institutions are government-run, they are classified as government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs), which the Alliance of Healthcare Workers (AHW) claims is being used as an excuse to delay the benefits.
A Demand for Parity According to the AHW, personnel in hospitals under the Department of Health (DOH) and other civilian government agencies have already received this allowance under Executive Order No. 64. However, workers in the four GOCC specialty hospitals remain the only group yet to receive the payment.
“GOCC hospitals are the sole health institutions that have yet to receive this allowance, while other hospitals and civilian government agencies are already awaiting the 2026 release,” said Sally Ejes, president of the PHC Employees Association-AHW.
Legal Dispute The hospital administrations have reportedly argued that their workers are not entitled to the EO 64 allowance because they are already covered by the Magna Carta of Public Health Workers (RA 7305).
The AHW, however, maintains that the two benefits are “distinct and separate.” They are calling for the P7,000 to be released specifically in cash, rejecting any proposals to course the benefit through health maintenance organizations (HMOs).
Rising Cost of Living Beyond the P7,000 allowance, the group is pushing for a significant hike in the entry-level salary for nurses and allied health professionals, proposing a range of P36,000 to P50,000 to help workers cope with the rising cost of living and inflation.
“While the amount may be modest, it is a significant help for ordinary health workers who earn low wages, especially since many of the medicines we need are not even available in our own hospitals,” Ejes added. The group has urged lawmakers to launch an investigation into the matter to ensure that all healthcare workers receive their legally mandated benefits.