By April Therese Tan
The COVID-19 Benefits and Allowances for Health Workers Act 2021, which will be due for signing by President Rodrigo Duterte, has gained the support of the Cebu Health Sector.
The said Act aims to provide benefits and allowance to health care and non-healthcare workers who have rendered service in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, both in the public and private sectors.
The IATF-Visayas, Department of Health- Central Visayas; Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center, Cebu Provincial Health Office, Cebu Provincial Hospitals and the City Health Offices of the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, and Lapu-Lapu expressed support for the said enrolled bill in a recently concluded consultative conference.
The enrolled bill has been endorsed to the Office of the President and has been recommended for signature by the President.
Under the bill, for every month of service during a state of a public health emergency, those deployed in low-risk areas will be given P3,000; those deployed in medium risk areas will be given P6,000 and those deployed in high-risk areas will get P9,000 if they render 96 hours of monthly service.
“This measure applies not only during the COVID-19 pandemic as declared by the President but also to any similar health emergencies on a national scale,” according to the Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas in a statement.-(April Therese Tan)