MANILA – Health workers are planning to hold a mass protest if the Department of Health (DOH) fails to release the COVID-19 benefits they are entitled to by the end of August, the Alliance of Health Workers said Tuesday.

“Magkakaroon kami ng malawakang pagkilos, iba’t ibang porma. Kung hindi ito maibigay by September 1 talagang makikita nila na dadagundong ang mga health workers sa iba’t ibang porma ng protesta po sa Department of Health,” the group’s president Robert Mendoza said in an ANC Dateline Philippines interview.

He said some hospitals will be holding noise barrages starting tomorrow to call for the distribution of their benefits.

“Kami sa Alliance of Health Workers ay tuloy-tuloy umpisa bukas, magkakaroon na kami ng 12 noon na noise barrage, bawat hospital na talagang di nila nabigyan, hindi kumpleto yung pagbibigay ng benepisyo,” he said.

“Itong mga benepisyong ito matagal na po ito. Kaya binigyan na po natin ng ultimatum ang ating pangulo, ang ating Department of Health dahil paulit-ulit na pong nangyayari ito. Every time na meron kaming pag-uusap sa Department of Health sinasabi laging walang pondo, walang pera, kahit yung sa DBM (Department of Budget and Management) pero nung lumabas yung COA file is andami pa lang pera,” he explained.

Mendoza said health workers should not be begging government for the benefits that are given to them under the law.

“Hindi dapat naninikluhod ang mga health workers sa mga ganyan, kasi ito’y para sa kanilang mga serbisyo din. Dapat tapatan ng gobyerno dahil nakikita na nga natin andami nang namatay na health workers. Andami nang nagkakasakit pero asaan na yung mga benepisyo na inilaan d'yan?” he asked.

He noted that the DOH has failed to adequately respond to their questions about their benefits.

“Yung meal, accommodation and transportation [allowance] na hiningi namin kasi 30 percent lang ibinigay. Asan na yung 70 percent na for the transportation and accommodation?” he said.

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He also lamented that the burden of giving health workers their active hazard duty pay was passed on to hospitals.

“Ang sabi ng Department of Health nung July 16 hindi nakapaglabas ang DBM ng pondo para sa active hazard duty pay…what if kung walang savings ang hospital?” he said.

--ANC, 24 August 2021