MANILA - Health workers on Tuesday appealed to the Department of Health to release the list of requirements for them to avail of their meal, accommodation, and transportation (MAT) allowance.

The DOH has yet to announce the requirements a day before the supposed deadline for claims, said Donnel Siazon, union president of UST Hospital.

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"Pupuwede ho ba na manawagan sa DOH na i-cascade lahat ang list of requirement, template to hospitals. Baka sakaling mahabol namin ang deadline tomorrow," he told ANC's Headstart.

(Can we call on the DOH to cascade all list of requirement, template to hospitals. Maybe we can beat the deadline tomorrow.)

The MAT allowance is non-commutable or will be distributed to hospital management instead of health workers despite no transportation being provided, Siazon added.

"Ang dating ho sa amin parang wala kaming makukuha kasi ibibigay kay management," he said.

(It seems to us that we will receive nothing because they will give it to management.)

Health workers have yet to receive their special risk allowance despite complying with requirements before Bayanihan 2 lapsed in June, Siazon said.

"After all the tedious requirements--we were able to comply with the requirements needed. Ito po ang masakit, parang (this is what hurts, it's like) we’re still begging," he said.

The union earlier warned that health workers are considering a strike or a "medical lockdown" if they do not receive their benefits soon.

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When asked if the strike would push through, Siazon said the group still has to talk with other local unions.

A fixed amount of MAT allowance would "simplify the process" as health workers won't need to present documents to claim their benefit, said Quezon 4th District Rep. Angelina Tan.

"Kung sana kinompute na lang natin nang fixed. Kasi parang ang ginagawa nila the employee has to submit, they need to comply pa mga documents," she said.

(We could have computed it at a fixed rate. What they did was the employee still needed to comply with documents.)

"We understand naman that they need the attached documents for COA audit. But tingin ko pwedeng isinimplify siya at pinabilis ang implementation."

(But I think they could have simplified it and hastened the implementation.)

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