Talisay public health workers renew their call for hazard pay

Public Health Workers of Talisay City have reiterated their demand for hazard pay, which has not been granted to them for the last 13 years since the Magna Carta for PHWs was passed. Otherwise, they would seek redress from the courts.

"The Magna Carta is indeed the consolation of the PHW's because with this enactment, we were promised that all benefits received by the national PHWs would also be received by us, the devolved PHWs," read their letter addressed to Mayor Socrates Fernandez.

They want to know why the city has appropriations for salaries and benefits for local officials and other employees, honorarium for committee membership, festivals, and annual salary hikes, and does not make appropriations for their hazard pay.

They allege that the hazard pay is necessary because of the nature of their job, which exposes them to diseases as they travel to different barangays to treat the sick.

"If only local officials cared to read the context of RA 7305. They could discern that what we are demanding for are only crumbs from the dining table," they said.

The Local Budget Circular No. 1 dated May 15, 2001 or the Appropriation for Mandatory Benefits provides that "local executives are hereby reminded that full provisions must first be appropriated for Magna Carta benefits of PHW in their respective budgets before they can provide for non-mandatory adoption of the salary schedule for higher class LGU's."

The Department of Budget and Management last year approved Talisay City's request to raise its employees' salaries to the salary level of first class cities. Talisay City is classified as a fifth class city. - Liv G. Campo