CAMARINES SUR Rep. LRay Villafuerte has welcomed the release of P1.08 billion by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) for the sickness and death benefits of health frontliners who, in the performance of their crucial duties amid the global health crisis, had contracted or may contract coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) this year.

“We hope that this timely release of benefits for healthcare workers (HCWs) and non-healthcare workers who deserve to receive COVID-19-related benefits will prevent the recurrence of last year’s incident in which many had complained about not getting their allowances and benefits amid the pandemic,” Villafuerte said.

Republic Act (RA) No. 11712, or the Public Health Emergency Benefits and Allowances for Healthcare Workers Act, signed into law by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on April 27, mandates the grant of sickness and death benefits to HCWs and non-HCWs.

Villafuerte, who was among the principal authors of this law, expressed the hope that the DBM can soon release the rest of the budget intended for these benefits to ensure that funds remain sufficient to cover the compensation claims of HCWs and non-HCWs.

Under RA 11712, those who were infected with mild or moderate COVID-19 infection will each receive P15,000 in compensation, while those who contracted severe or critical coronavirus disease will get P100,000 each.

The families of every HCW and non-HCW who died of COVID-19 in the line of duty will receive P1 million, the DBM said.

Under RA 11712, the benefits will have a retroactive application from July 1, 2021, and will remain in full force and effect during the state of national public health emergency as declared by the President.

The P1.08 billion released by the DBM for the implementation of RA 11712 was charged against the regular budget of the Department of Health (DOH), which will be in charge of transferring the fund to DOH-retained and corporate hospitals, DOH treatment, and rehabilitation centers, and centers for health development, among other attached agencies and institutions.

As for the other benefits for HCWs and other workers involved in the country’s COVID-19 response, the DBM has already released P7.92 billion in February to cover their health emergency allowance (HEA).

Villafuerte said that with the enactment of RA 11712, HCWs and non-HCWs will also be assured of receiving their HEAs, depending on their risk exposures during the COVID-19 pandemic and other future public health emergencies.

He said this law covers both public and private healthcare and non-healthcare workers regardless of their employment status from the time of declaration of the public health emergency until lifted by the President.

Workers deployed in “low-risk areas” shall receive at least P3,000; those in “medium-risk areas” shall be given around P6,000, while individuals assigned in “high-risk areas” shall be granted at least P9,000.

Villafuerte said this law includes a provision mandating the creation of ad hoc grievance boards in all regions to investigate and settle complaints on any undue delay or failure of the government to grant the COVID 19-related benefits to HCWs and non-HCWs for the duration of the pandemic.

As provided under RA 11712, Villafuerte said the necessary funding for this extra pay will be charged against the available appropriations of the DOH and from other sources to be identified by the DBM.

Aside from HCWs, the new benefits also cover frontliners who are non-healthcare workers, including those rendering medical, allied medical, administrative, technical, and support services in hospitals, health facilities, laboratories, medical or temporary treatment, and monitoring facilities, and vaccination sites. By Ryan Ponce Pacpaco