THE DEPARTMENT of Health (DOH) has vowed to release over P7-million worth of long-delayed health emergency allowance (HEA) to UST Hospital workers by the second week of November, the Ugnayan ng Nagkakaisang Manggagawa ng University of Santo Tomas Hospital (UNM-USTH) president said.
Following a protest held by the labor union outside the agency’s building on Oct. 27, the DOH committed to release the unpaid allowance of workers amounting to P7,429,593, according to UNM-USTH president Donnel Siazon.
The amount covers the HEA grant to both healthcare and non-healthcare staff of the hospital incurred in December 2021, January and March of 2022 and January, February and May of 2023.
“This was the request we submitted to be paid. All of these are appeals because DOH had errors [that were] rectified from this report. This was reconciled and approved no less than the DOH and [it committed] to pay this second week of the month,” Siazon told The Flame.
The dialogue took place after the workers were invited into the DOH building in the middle of their protest, cutting the demonstration short.
“While we were doing the protest, we did not reach the point wherein we would throw tomatoes (at the DOH gate) because we were allowed to enter,” Siazon said.
The allowance compensates healthcare and support personnel who served during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Established under Republic Act No. 11712 or the Public Health Emergency Benefits and Allowances for Healthcare Workers Act, the HEA is a grant given to healthcare and non-healthcare workers in varying amounts based on their degree of COVID-19 exposure.
Under the law, workers classified under “low risk” would receive at least P3,000 monthly allowance, while those deemed “medium risk” are entitled to at least P6,000 for the months they worked over the 2-year coverage period. Meanwhile, frontliners who fall under the “high risk” category would get at least P9,000 worth of HEA.
According to Siazon, the agreement signed by both parties states that USTH workers shall receive their payment upon submission of the required documents, which includes HEA and attestation forms.
Healthcare and non-healthcare personnel are also required to sign a quitclaim, along with an undertaking to return any excess amount should they receive more than what is due to them.
The group also plans to include in its next appeal to the department’s Grievance Board the reclassification of their medical technologists from “moderate risk” to “high risk,” which would result in a P3,000 increase in their monthly HEA.
However, Siazon said that the group already anticipates the DOH would not meet its promised timeline. The labor union is prepared to hold another protest if the payment is not made by then.
“We know that the DOH will not be able to do it by the second week of November. What we plan to do is throw tomatoes (at its gate). I am still doubtful that we will be paid in the second week,” he said.” F
