THE House Committee on Health already approved “in principle” the proposed legislation that will provide additional and consistent amount of benefits for all health care workers in the country in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the committee hearing, it approved House Bills 9640, 10198, 10285, 10331 and 10365, which seek to provide continuous benefits for all public and private health care workers regardless of employment status, including barangay health workers in the middle of the pandemic.
The proposed bills will now be consolidated and will be “subject to style and amendments” before it is elevated to the plenary for deliberation.
It is stated in the House bills the provision of COVID-19 benefits to health care workers such as the Special Risk Allowances or SRAs and Active Hazard Duty Pay (AHDP).
Included among the benefits that are mandatory to be given to the health care workers while the pandemic is ongoing are life insurance, meal, accommodation and transportation or MAT allowances, and compensation if ever they get sick, hospitalized or die due to COVID-19.