Frontline health workers debunked Friday what Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) Director Celia Carlos claimed that they already received all the COVID-19 benefits stated in Bayanihan Law 2.
Their statement was released through a newspaper last November 25, the RITM Employees Association-Alliance of Health Workers (RITMEA-AHW) said in a statement.
In a previous statement released by AHW, they said many DOH-retained hospitals only got 30 percent of the funds from the DOH for their meal, accommodation, and transportation benefit for the period of September to December 2020.
Among the DOH retained-hospitals, RITM health workers did not receive their budget for their meal, accommodation and transportation (MAT) benefit for the months of September 15 to December 19, 2020.
On December 7, 2020, DOH released Department Order 2020-0759 re: Guidelines for the Release, Utilization, Liquidation and Reporting of Funds to Cover Benefits of Healthcare Workers in Response to COVID-19 Health Emergency.
The initial sub-allotted funds of P2,156,120,480 for life insurance, meals, accommodation and transportation covers the period of September 2020 to December 2020.
The DOH then required the hospitals to utilize the funds until December 31, 2020 and it was stated in the Department Order.
Like the other DOH hospital managements, RITM allotment for MAT benefit amounting to P57 million, was returned to DOH because of the short period of time for utilization, even though health workers did not receive the benefits yet.
The RITMEA-AHW appealed to hospital management to write DOH and ask to return the P57 million intended for their MAT benefits under Bayanihan Law 2 because it has not yet benefited the RITM health workers yet.
While other health workers from DOH hospitals received their 30-percent MAT benefits, it was only on July 12, 2021 that RITM management wrote the DOH through Usec. Leopoldo Vega, inquiring if the institute will be provided funds by the DOH Central Office for the grant of cash equivalent for the MAT benefits to Public Health Workers for the period of September 15, 2020 to December 19, 2020 as represented by RITMEA.
On July 31, RITM management wrote to RITMEA-AHW, attaching the response from Usec. Vega. They clarified that their action regarding the issuance of negative sub-allotted funds was in compliance with Department Order 2020-0759 dated December 7, 2020.
Romeo Garcia, president of RITMEA-AHW, said: “Unfortunately, until now, we hospital workers have not received our MAT benefits though we heard the pronouncement that President Duterte ordered DOH to pay our benefits.” (See full story online at manilastandard.net)
“The question is, where did they bring the huge amount of P57M that is already allotted for RITM health workers MAT benefits? That budget is for the RITM health workers who take the lead in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic,” he added.
RITMEA-AHW also demanded the immediate release of their meal, accommodation and transportation benefits covering the period of January to June 2021.
Based on a report shared by Secretary Duque, RITM had released active hazard duty pay amounting to more than P23.5 million and a special risk allowance amounting to P65.9 million since 2020.
Of the P23.5 million AHDP released, P16 million were given to the contract of service staff while P6 million were released to permanent personnel.
Meanwhile, of the P65 million SRA, P25 million were released to COS and P40 million were released to permanent personnel.
According to Carlos, the RITM also spent more than P120 million for the meals, accommodations, and transportation of healthcare workers last year, bringing the total benefits released by the agency to P200 million.
“We spent a total of P120,244,546.84 for meals, accommodations, and transport, which were all provided in kind,” Carlos said.
Of the P120 million, P48 million were spent on daily meals, P54 million were spent on accommodations in hotels, and P17 million were spent on transportation shuttle services.
Several healthcare workers have been protesting the delayed release of their benefits, as the country’s battle with the COVID-19 continues.
On Wednesday, medical frontliners symbolically padlocked the main gate of the Department of Health office in Sta. Cruz, Manila.