Health care workers stage protest, demand salary increase

MANILA, Philippines — Health care workers led by the Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) yesterday staged a protest to demand a salary increase for both public and private health care workers.

Philippine Orthopedic Center and the National Children’s Hospital’s health care workers urged the government to provide a P33,000 entry salary, release the delayed COVID-19 health emergency allowance and increase the 2024 health budget.

“It is just and timely that we demand an immediate salary increase, P33K entry salary for public and private health workers. Prove to us, Mr. President, that you will improve health workers’ welfare as what you have promised during SONA (State of the Nation Address),” National Orthopedic Center Employees Union president Ricardo Antonio said in a statement.

“More than a year of President Marcos as the head of this nation, nothing has changed as to health workers’ and people’s situation, instead it’s getting even worse,” said AHW national president Robert Mendoza.

“The February-July 2023 health emergency allowance has not been released until now. Worse, private and LGU (local government unit) health workers are still waiting for their HEA covering the period of July-December 2021, January-December 2022 and January-July 2023,” said National Children’s Hospital Employees Association president Jever Bernardo.

The AHW called on the Senate to restore the P10-billion cut in the DOH budget, the P1.7-billion budget cut in specialty hospitals and P2-billion budget cut for the Philippine General Hospital.