Bacolod City Council okays P41.5-M hazard pay for frontliners

By Dolly Yasa

 

BACOLOD City – Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran said the Sangguniang Panlungsod has approved the P41.5-million appropriations ordinance intended for the hazard pay and special risk allowance of city government employees at the frontlines in the fight against COVID-19.

Earlier, Leonardia wrote the SP requesting that salary savings from vacant positions from January 1 to May 31, 2020 be reverted and re-appropriated for an appropriation ordinance to cover the hazard pay and special risk allowances of qualified workers.

“This is a form of saying thank you to our frontliners and employees who rendered work during the ECQ from March 30 to May 15, 2020.  They are our heroes during these trying times,” Leonardia said.

The P41.5-million budget includes P37.6 million for the hazard pay and P3.9 million for the special risk allowance.

City Budget Officer Ma. Imelda Williams said those entitled to receive these incentives are regular employees, job order workers, and contractual employees of the city who rendered frontline and other essential services during the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) from March 30 until May 15.

Williams said that based on the availability of funds of the city government, each qualified personnel will receive a hazard pay of P350 (at most) per day for the number of days they actually rendered service during the 47-day ECQ period.

Qualified personnel will receive a one-time special risk allowance, which is equivalent to a maximum of 25 percent of their monthly basic pay.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) released a budget circular providing a pro-rated computation of the special risk allowance.

Personnel receiving “regular hazard pay” may avail of the COVID-19 hazard pay, whichever is higher, she said.