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Health workers call on government to address their sector’s concerns such as higher wages, ending contractualization, unpaid benefits, and bigger budgets for public hospitals at a “heroes’ day protest” outside the Philippine Children’s Hospital in Quezon City. Anjo Bagaoisan, ABS-CBN News

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Protest

Andrew Jonathan Bagaoisan

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1724659051603GV4bg9JbMAAvXyV.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Health workers call on government to address their sector’s concerns such as higher wages, ending contractualization, unpaid benefits, and bigger budgets for public hospitals at a “heroes’ day protest” outside the Philippine Children’s Hospital in Quezon City. Anjo Bagaoisan, ABS-CBN News"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Health workers call on government to address their sector’s concerns such as higher wages, ending contractualization, unpaid benefits, and bigger budgets for public hospitals at a “heroes’ day protest” outside the Philippine Children’s Hospital in Quezon City. Anjo Bagaoisan, ABS-CBN News</span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Despite being dubbed &quot;modern-day heroes&quot; for their service during the pandemic, health care workers said they are still waiting for their concerns such as wages, job security, and unpaid benefits to be fully addressed by the government.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/4/5/health-workers-protest-at-who-headquarters-1241">• Health workers protest at WHO headquarters</a></div><p>At a protest Monday coinciding with National Heroes Day, members of the sector led by the Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) called for raising the base pay for workers in public and private health, particularly giving an entry salary of P33,000.</p><p>They decried that government employees at Salary Grade 1 would only get an increase of up to P13,530 under the recently released Executive Order 64 updating salaries of civilian government personnel.</p><p>Benjamin Santos, AHW public relations officer and a worker at the Philippine General Hospital, called for increase in budget for public health which would also serve to regularize contractual health workers and address understaffing in public hospitals.</p><p>He added that many health workers have not yet fully received their health emergency allowances from the pandemic, despite the government already releasing the last tranche of the benefit.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/5/8/p59-8b-health-emergency-allowance-for-health-workers-released-marcos-2150">• P59.8B health emergency allowance for health workers released – Marcos</a></div><p>&quot;Malinaw din po na sa ngayon ay hindi pa rin po prayoridad ng ating gobyerno ang usapin po ng budget para sa kalusugan,&quot; Santos said in an interview.</p><p>&quot;Mukhang magbabawas na naman po ng mga pondo sa ating mga public hospital. Kaya po sa tingin namin, itong mga panawagang ito ay lehitimo, itong panawagan ito ay kailangan ng ating mamamayan, at kailangan ng ating mga kawani.&quot;</p><p>The group urged the Department of Health (DOH) and Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to immediately release their performance-based bonus for 2021 to 2023.</p><p>The group also joined the heroes&#x27; day protest at the Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila later in the day. </p><p>Meanwhile, the AHW also lamented the Commission on Elections (Comelec) dismissing the petition for registration of the Health Workers Party-list from the 2025 national elections.</p><p>The group seeks to give a voice in Congress for health care workers and patients.</p><p>&quot;Napakarami pong party-list ngayon na hindi natin alam kung ano ang layunin o agenda na pumapasok sa Kongreso, samantalang itong inaalok sa ating mamamayan...ay subok na sa pakikipaglaban, sa pagsusulong ng kagalingan ng ating mga mamamayan,&quot; Santos said.</p><p>The group plans to appeal the dis-accreditation with the Comelec.</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/u7FTm-W146s?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Despite being dubbed "modern-day heroes" for their service during the pandemic, health care workers said they are still waiting for their concerns such as wages, job security, and unpaid benefits to be fully addressed by the government.</p>

Despite being dubbed "modern-day heroes" for their service during the pandemic, health care workers said they are still waiting for their concerns such as wages, job security, and unpaid benefits to be fully addressed by the government.

On heroes' day, health care workers decry government 'neglect' of their sector

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On heroes' day, health care workers decry government 'neglect' of their sector

Andrew Jonathan Bagaoisan,

ABS-CBN News

Published Aug 26, 2024 04:12 PM PHT

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