{"id":20259,"date":"2024-07-23T13:44:07","date_gmt":"2024-07-23T11:44:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uniglobalunion.org\/?post_type=news&p=20259"},"modified":"2024-07-30T14:13:58","modified_gmt":"2024-07-30T12:13:58","slug":"philippine-bhws-overdue-hazard-pay","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/uniglobalunion.org\/news\/philippine-bhws-overdue-hazard-pay\/","title":{"rendered":"Philippine Barangay Health Workers Urge Health Department for Overdue Hazard Pay"},"content":{"rendered":"
Barangay Health Workers (BHWs) across the Philippines are urgently appealing to the Department of Health (DOH) for the swift release and distribution of their Health Emergency Allowance (HEA). This call comes after a June 2024 survey<\/a> by the UNI Global Union – Philippine Liaison Council (UNI-PLC) highlighted a concerning situation: BHWs in 13 regions, involving nearly 10,000 workers, are owed an average of 14 months in HEA, totaling an estimated 793 million pesos.<\/p>\r\n Myrna Gaite<\/b>, President of the BHW NCR Federation, voiced the federation’s plea to the DOH. \u201cMany health workers in public hospitals have long received their complete HEA. But for us BHWs, there are still many deficiencies. The distribution is always delayed in the communities, which are the first point of contact for residents when they fall ill. So we appeal to the DOH; you have the funds, please release what has long been due to us. This is not just about money; it\u2019s about justice and recognition for our contributions.\u201d<\/p>\r\n Rajendra Acharya<\/b>, UNI Asia & Pacific Regional Secretary, echoed these sentiments, stating, “We are deeply concerned about the long overdue payment of the HEA to the Barangay Health Workers. They deserve to be compensated for their crucial work. We urge the Department of Health to immediately develop and implement a disbursement plan in cooperation with the BHW NCR Federation.”<\/p>\r\n