DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Two local legislators have called to ensure proper compensation for local frontliners as the latter risk their safety on enhanced community quarantine.
Committee on Labor chair Councilor Pamela Librado-Morata passed a resolution requesting the appropriate government agencies to ensure the provision of hazard pay to all private and public medical frontliners in the City of Davao who give medical assistance to all coronavirus disease-2019 (Covid-19) patients, for appropriate action of the body.
Morata appealed for additional hazard pay and special risk allowance for health workers, including the barangay health workers.
In her resolution, the councilor said that in this time of medical emergency, doctors, nurses and other health workers who have fallen ill due to their exposure to Covid-19 patients provide quality service to the city despite their limited number.
“As a sign of utmost gratitude to our medical front liners, the undersigned requests the appropriate government agencies to ensure and if possible fast track the grant of hazard pay or special risk allowance to all our medical front liners pursuant to Republic Act No. 11469 also known as the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act and Republic Act No. 7305 also known as the Magna Carta of Public Health Workers,” said Councilor Morata.
Recently, Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) chief Dr. Leopoldo Vega confirmed that out of some 300 frontline medical workers, at least 12 frontline health workers have tested positive with Covid-19. The tests were conducted to those medical workers in the Emergency Room (ER), Isolation Facility, Intensive Care Unit, and Payward.
On April 15, Dr. Vega also announced that two administrative staff of the hospital have died of Covid-19. The two were a 57-year-old employee who died on Wednesday morning and a 59-year-old staff who died last Monday.
The two are not “technically” in the frontlines as they work in the administrative department of the hospital.
Meanwhile, another ordinance passed by Councilor Diosdado Angel R. Mahipus has sought to enact and ordinance an ordinance granting Covid-19 hazard pay to barangay frontline personnel and barangay volunteer workers during the periods of community quarantine.
Mahipus said, in his privileged speech, that the city should include all barangay volunteer workers including the barangay health workers (BHW), barangay volunteer workers (BVW), barangay nutrition scholars (BNS), barangay tanod, day care teachers, and all purok leaders to receive P500 per day “when they physically report for work risking the possibility of being infected” as they do the food packing for relief goods.
He also proposed that all punong barangays, barangay kagawads, Sanggunian Kabataan chairpersons, and Sanggunian Kabataan kagawads be given a premium for their exemplary service to their barangay, maybe as a service incentive pay.
Mahipus said local government units (LGUs) “were not precluded” from enacting an ordinance granting Covid-19 hazard pay to barangay frontline personnel and barangay volunteer workers during the periods of community quarantine based on the recent pronouncement of the President granting premium in the form of hazard pay.
“I understand that this matter will still be subject to study and debate but at the outset, I would like to let our heroes know that the City of Davao and its residents acknowledge all their sacrifices and honor them as heroes,” said Mahipus.(davaotoday.com)
