Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Ray Villafuerte is calling on the House of Representatives to back President Rodrigo Duterte in granting extra benefits to healthcare workers.
He said the release of P1.185 billion for the special risk allowance (SRA) of medical frontliners is a measure to recognize their sacrifices to fight COVID-19.
“Congress can go one step further by passing the bill institutionalizing this allowance and other benefits for our medical frontliners,” Villafuerte said.
He was referring to a consolidated bill in Congress, of which he is one of the principal authors designed to provide insurance coverage, special risk allowance and other benefits to healthcare workers.
The measure, a consolidation of several bills on the grant of SRA and other benefits to health workers, is still at the committee level.
The President has approved the release of P1.185 billion from the 2021 contingent fund to pay the SRA of medical frontliners.
To ensure there is always enough funding for health workers’ benefits, Villafuerte said Congress must swiftly approve the consolidated bill that aims to provide insurance coverage, SRA and other benefits.
Benefits under the consolidated bill, including House HB 10365 that he authored, cover both public and private healthcare workers, and would be granted to them during the period of the state of national calamity resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.
Villafuerte also filed a related measure, HB 9670 seeking to amend the existing Magna Carta of Public Health Workers by increasing the rates for their overtime pay and other incentives and benefits.