Sen Hontiveros urges hazard pay for COVID-19 frontliners

Senator Risa Hontiveros is urging the immediate grant of hazard pay to all frontliners involved in the fight against COVID-19, including health workers, government employees, military, police, and service workers.

Hontiveros highlighted the immense sacrifices made by these individuals who are daily working on the front lines to prevent the spread of the virus.

She stated that these frontliners require not only protective gear but also additional compensation that reflects the extreme stress and risks they endure.

For public health workers, existing law, Republic Act 7305 or the Magna Carta of Public Health Workers, mandates hazard pay up to 25 percent of their monthly basic salary.

The senator also called for similar additional compensation for health professionals in the private sector.

Hontiveros emphasized that hazard pay should also be extended to government employees who maintain essential public services and personnel directly serving the public, such as traffic enforcers, police, soldiers, and immigration officers.

While no law currently mandates hazard pay for private sector workers, she appealed to employers to voluntarily provide additional pay to employees like security guards, bank tellers, and cashiers who face increased risk of infection.

She noted that these essential service workers are crucial in maintaining a sense of normalcy during the community quarantine.