Press Release
September 24, 2021

Villanueva bats for COVID hazard pays, risk allowance for all healthcare workers

All healthcare workers should all be given hazard pays and allowances for risking exposure to COVID-19 every day in private and public health institutions, Senator Joel Villanueva said today.

At the Senate hearing on Senate Bill No. 2371, or the Benefits for Healthcare Workers Act, Villanueva not only endorsed a proposal doubling the Special Risk Allowances (SRA) and Active Hazard Duty Pay (AHDP) for healthcare workers, but also suggested that the measure widen the reach of the benefits to include non-medical HCWs.

"We are suggesting that we broaden the scope of the bill to include the non-medical healthcare workers," Villanueva, chair of the Senate labor committee, said during the hearing.

Medical HCWs include doctors, nurses, nursing assistants, medtechs, midwives, radtechs, pharmacists and caregivers. Non-medical HCWs, meanwhile, are those who work in private and public health institutions such as barangay health workers, admin staff, utility workers, social workers, dietary staff, security guard, drivers and hospital employees.

"Non-medical healthcare workers are also at risk of contracting COVID-19 in the workplace since they won't know sino ang may COVID sa mga naka-interact nila. Airborne yung virus and highly transmissible ang Delta variant," Villanueva said.

The lawmaker added that saying non-medical HCW are not entitled to SRA and AHDP ignores the reality that they are also at risk of getting the COVID-19 virus in the workplace.

In fact, Villanueva said, the case fatality rate of non-medical HCWs are not far behind that of medical HCWs.

Citing DOH data, the case fatality rate of nurses is 1% while doctors is at 0.3%. Although the numbers are far less than their medical HCW counterparts, the fatality case rate for hospital employees is at 4.3%, 1.1% for admin staff and 0.7% for barangay health workers."

Villanueva likewise noted that the latest COVID-19 case tally of non-medical HCWs reached 2,157 of the 24,895 cases of all HCWs, or about 8.7% of the total COVID-19 cases of HCWs.

Villanueva stressed the need to make evidence-based and data-driven policy decisions, starting with accurate and reliable data on the number of healthcare workers. While DOH counts 526,727 HCWs in its initial computation of the needed COVID-19 benefits, the total number of HCWs could be higher, he noted.

"With reliable data, we can also determine how much will be needed for other benefits, such as COVID-19 claims and meals, accommodation, and transportation allowances," Villanueva said.

On addressing delays in the release of the SRA and AHDP, Villanueva said there are ways to expedite the process if priority is given to medical frontliners.

"I believe that our priority should be our health workers, their benefits and their health and safety. How is it so hard for us to realize that? So, if you will allow me to make a suggestion: Unahin ang proseso ng pag-download ng pondo sa mga ospital. Tingnan po natin kung mas mapapadali kung fixed at hindi pro-rated ang mga benepisyo," Villanueva said.

"Pag-aralan rin po natin kung mas magiging effective kung idadaan sa DOLE ang pagbibigay ng mga benepisyo sa mga private healthcare workers. Let us not allow bureaucratic procedures to get in the way of our fight against COVID-19," he added.

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Hazard pay at allowance para sa lahat ng healthcare workers, isinulong ni Villanueva

Isinusulong ni Senator Joel Villanueva ang pagbibigay ng hazard pay at allowance sa lahat healthcare workers na araw-araw humaharap sa peligro ng COVID-19 sa mga pribado at pampublikong pagamutan.

Sa pagdinig ng Senado sa Senate Bill No. 2371, o ang Benefits for Healthcare Workers Act, inendorso ni Villanueva hindi lamang ang pagdoble sa natatanggap na Special Risk Allowances o SRA at ng Active Hazard Duty Pay o AHDP para sa HCWs, kundi ang pagbibigay na rin ng mga naturang allowance sa mga non-medical HCWs tulad ng barangay health workers, admin staff, utility workers, social workers, dietary staff, security guard, drivers at iba pang emplyeado ng ospital.

"Iminumungkahi po natin ang pagpapalawak ng sakop ng panukala para maisama ang mga non-medical healthcare workers," ani Villianueva, chair ng Senate labor committee.

"Exposed din po ang ating mga non-medical healthcare workers sa COVID-19 sa kanilang mga trabaho, kasi hindi mo naman malalaman kung sino ang may virus sa mga naka-interact nila. Airborne po yung virus and mas nakakahawa ang Delta variant," dagdag pa niya.

Ani Villanueva, hindi pwedeng sabihin na hindi dapat tumanggap ng hazard pay at allowance ang mga non-medical HCWs dahil ang realidad ay malaki ang posibilidad na magkaroon ng COVID-19 dahil sa kanilang trabaho,

Giit pa ni Villanueva, hindi naman nagkakalayo ang non-medical HCWs sa medical HCWs pagdating sa "case fatality rate" o ang bahagdan ng namamatay sa bilang ng kaso ng COVID-19.

Ayon sa datos ng DOH, ang case fatality rate sa mga nurses is 1% habang ang sa mga doktor ay nasa 0.3%. Bagamat ang bilang ng nagkakasakit sa COVID-19 ay mas mababa, ang fatality case rate para sa non-medical HCWs tulad ng hospital employees ay 4.3%, 1.1% para sa mga admin staff at 0.7% naman para sa barangay health workers.

Dagdag pa ni Villanueva, ang kabuuang bilang ng kaso ng COVID-19 sa mga non-medical HCWs ay umabot sa 2,157 mula sa 24,895 na kabuuang bilang ng kaso sa lahat ng HCWs, o 8.7%.

Kailangan din umano ng DOH na ayusin ang mga datos nito dahil ayon dito, may 526,727 HCWs sa inisyal na bilang ng ahensya na nangangailangan ng dagdag benepisyo na maaari pang tumaas.

Kung may maayos na datos, aniya, mas malalaman kung ano ang nararapat na benepisyo ang maaaring ibigay ng pamahalaan para tumbasan ang sakripisyong binibigay ng mga HCWs.

Sa isyu naman ng naaantalang pagbibigay ng SRA at AHDP sa mga HCWs, iminungkahi ni Villanueva naunahin ang proseso ng pag-download ng pondo sa mga ospital at tingnan kung mas mapapadali kung fixed at hindi pro-rated ang mga benepisyo.

"Pag-aralan po natin kung mas magiging effective kung idadaan sa DOLE ang pagbibigay ng mga benepisyo sa mga private healthcare workers. Let us not allow bureaucratic procedures to get in the way of our fight against COVID-19," dagdag niya.

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