Health workers demand hazard pay

Manila, Philippines -  Around 150 members of the Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) staged a rally yesterday at the Department of Health (DOH) central office in Tayuman, Manila to reiterate their demand for the release of their hazard pay.

The workers have asked Health Secretary Enrique Ona to facilitate the release of their benefits that had been canceled starting this year by virtue of General Appropriations Act (GAA) of 2012, which stipulates that such benefits shall come from the agency’s savings provided there is prior approval from the Department of Budget and Management.

AHW president Jossel Ebesate said the cancellation of the hazard pay is a big loss for health workers, considering their meager income and the soaring cost of living in the country.

Ebesate noted the GAA had violated Republic Act 7305 or the Magna Carta of Public Health Workers so the DOH should not honor the budget law.

“The hazard pay should be 25 percent of your salary. So for a health worker who is receiving Grade 1 salary of P9,000 a month, that means that he lost P2,000. You can already buy one sack of rice with that amount,” he said.

Under the Magna Carta, the government shall provide the health workers with hazard pay, longevity pay and other benefits.

Ebesate said the issue is not just about money but about fighting for their rights.

“We are just fighting for what is due us. That hazard pay is provided under the Magna Carta so it should be given to us,” he said.