THE Senate yesterday passed on third and final reading several measures before it adjourns this week, among them Senate Bill No. (SBN) 2421 or the Proposed COVID-19 Benefits and Allowances for Healthcare Workers Act of 2022 and SBN 2420 or the Marawi Siege Victims Compensation Act of 2021.
SBN 2421 has a counterpart measure at the House of Representatives that was passed on second reading last week, while SBN 2420’s counterpart measure at the House was passed last September.
The COVID-19 benefits and allowances for health frontliners applies to both private and public healthcare workers regardless of their employment status during the state of public health emergency. The measure will provide health workers with a fixed monthly allowance.
“Low risk” health workers, or those performing administrative duties in non-public areas of health facilities, will receive a P3,000 monthly allowance, while “medium risk” workers or workers within the health facility providing direct physical care to the general public who are not suspected COVID-19 patients and/or working at busy staff work areas will get P6,000 a month.
“High risk” workers or those who are involved directly with COVID-19 patients and those collecting or handling specimen from known COVID-19 patients will be given P9,000 monthly.
The allowance will be given in full if the healthcare worker reports at least 12 days a month, “otherwise, the benefit shall be prorated.”
The families of healthcare workers who die after getting infected with COVID-19 in the line of duty will receive P1 million, while those who get severely or critically sick will get P100,000. In case of mild or moderate sickness, a healthcare worker will receive P15,000.
Once passed into law, the benefits will be retroactive to July 1, 2021 and will be in in effect during the state of national public health emergency as declared by the President.
The funds for the compensation shall be charged against the current year budget of the Department of Health or any other source available that may be identified by the Department of Budget and Management.
Senate Bill No. 2420 aims to give due payment to internally displaced persons (IDPs) whose properties were damaged or possessions that cannot be recovered as a result of the siege in Marawi City in 2017 by the Maute Group, a local terrorist group with ties to the Abu Sayyaf Group.
Under the measure, any owner of a residential, cultural, commercial structures, and other properties in Marawi’s most affected areas (MAAs) or other affected areas (OAAs) is entitled to receive tax-free compensation from the government once they satisfy the requirements.
The measure also calls for the creation of a Marawi Compensation Board that will be composed of three lawyers, preferably of Maranao descent who have been practicing law for at least five years, a licensed physician, a certified public accountant, an educator, and a licensed civil engineer.
