The Daily Manila Shimbun

 

Duterte grants special risk allowance to frontline public health workers

April 6, 2020



President Rodrigo Duterte has issued an order authorizing the grant of special risk allowance (SRA) to frontline public health workers during the period of enhanced community quarantine relative to the coronavirus disease outbreak.

"There is a need to recognize the heroic and invaluable contributions of our public health workers throughout the country, who bravely and unselfishly risk their lives and health by being at the forefront of the national effort to address the public health emergency," Administrative Order No. 28, which Duterte signed on April 6, read.

Under the AO, the President authorized the national government agencies, government-owned or -controlled corporations, and local government units to grant a one-time COVID-19 SRA, equivalent to a a maximum of 25 percent of monthly basic salary/pay, to public health workers (PHWs) who have great exposure to health risks and physical hardships in the line of duty, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

PHWs shall refer to medical, allied medical, and other necessary personnel assigned in hospitals and healthcare facilities and who are directly catering to or in contact with COVID-19 patients, persons under investigation or persons under monitoring.

The conditions on the grant of one-time COVID-19 SRA are the following:

The PHWs provide critical and urgent services to respond to the public health emergency during the implementation of ECQ;

The PHWs are either civilian employees occupying regular, contractual, casual or part-time positions; or workers engaged through contract  of service or job order, including Barangay Health Workers regardless of the nature of engagement, provided that the said workers are assigned to hospitals and other healthcare facilities;

The PHWs physically report for work at their assigned work stations on the prescribed official working hours, as authorized by the head of agency/office during the period of the implementation of ECQ; and

The grant of the COVID-19 SRA shall be pro-rated based on the number of days that PHWs physically report for work during the period of the ECQ in their respective places of assignment, reckoned not earlier than March 17, 2020.

Not covered by the SRA are those engaged without employer-employee relationship and funded from non-personnel service appropriations/budgets.

The AO also provides where to source the funds for the SRA.

The AO shall take effect immediately upon its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. Celerina Monte/DMS