DOH relents to Senate prodding to realign funds for non-medical frontliners

Senators backed the proposal of civil society group Social Watch Philippines – Alternative Budget Initiative Health Cluster (SWP-ABI Health) on the Special Risk Allowance (SRA) inclusion of hospital janitors and other non-medical frontline personnel in health facilities facing the risk of catching COVID-19 while on duty.

“I am glad that Social Watch mentioned the janitors, messengers, and garbage collectors as frontliners.” said Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson.

Maria Fatima Villena of the SWP-ABI Health proposed the originally proposed amount of the Department of Health (DOH) for a single, risk-based allowance for healthcare workers, both public and private, even those who do not fall under the definition of healthcare workers and thus deprived of life-saving benefits despite the gargantuan task of battling COVID-19 in the health facilities. Villena added that the actual numbers of healthcare workers must be double-checked and further clarified to ensure allocation of sufficient funds to more healthcare workers.

“We noticed that in the proposal of the DOH, there are a lot of high-risk workers and those workers hired by the LGUs. Are the non-medical frontliners going to be a part of frontline benefits that the DOH will be providing?” Villena asked. DOH Secretary Francisco Duque later clarified that such personnel are not covered by the SRA, while also emphasizing the importance of such a proposal due to innate risks of being a frontliner.

“Hindi pa po ito kasama. Karamihan po dito, they are employed through an agency. But certainly, it would be good to include them because of the risk they are facing”, Sec. Duque explained responding to a query of Sen. Ping Lacson if non-medical frontliners are included in the SRA. Both Sen. Lacson and Sen. Franklin Drilon suggested realigning the budget for unfilled plantilla positions to fund the Social Watch proposal.

“Pagpasok ng fourth quarter pwede nang gamitin ang savings, so I think Sec. Duque you can do something about the plea of Social Watch and Senator Drilon”, Sen. Lacson said.

The Senate Finance Committee Chairwoman Sen. Pia Cayetano also recognized and lauded the alternative budget proposals of SWP-ABI Health for health promotion, non-communicable diseases (NCDs), tobacco control, accessibility, and hospital women and children protection units.”