BY BENJAMIN MOSES M. EBREO
BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya (January 8)—Health workers here who are directly in contact with COVID-19 patients are expected to receive additional benefits through the national government’s Bayanihan 2 Fund.
Dr. Edwin Galapon, provincial health officer, said the Department of Health (DOH) has already approved the P15 million budget for the provincial government’s health workers.
“These benefits are on top of the regular hazard pay of our health workers. These benefits will only be given to our health workers who are in direct contact with COVID-19 patients based on the guidelines of the DOH,” he said.
Galapon said the COVID-19 health workers will receive the monthly P5,000.00 Special Risk Allowance (SRA) and P3,000 Active Hazard Duty Pay (AHDP) covering September 15 to December 15, 2020.
He said at least 703 health workers will receive the AHDP while the beneficiaries of the SRA will be determined based on the DOH guidelines.
“These benefits are expected to be released in our province this month since the DOH fund is already available for release,” Galapon said.
The granting of SRA was contained in DOH Joint Circular No. 2 Series of 2020 and issued in November last year in line with the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act.