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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
Third Regular Session 
House Bill No. 11023
Introduced by: Congressman BIENVENIDO M. ABANTE, JR. 
AN ACT 
INCREASING THE SALARIES OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE HEALTHCARE WORKERS 
OR PROVIDERS, GRANTING THEM MANDATORY BENEFITS AND ALLOWANCES 
DURING PANDEMICS, EPIDEMICS, AND OTHER PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCIES, 
AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
 The Constitution provides: that the promotion of the general welfare is essential for 
the enjoyment by all the people of the blessings of democracy (Sec. 5, Art. II); the State shall 
promote a just and dynamic social order that will ensure the prosperity and independence of 
the nation and free the people from poverty through policies that provide adequate social 
services, promote full employment, a  rising standard of living, and an improved quality of 
life for all (Sec. 9, Art. II); the State shall protect and promote the right to health of the people 
and instill health consciousness among them (Sec. 15, Art. II); and the State shall adopt an 
integrated approach to health development which shall endeavor to make essential goods, 
health, and other social services available to all the people at affordable cost (Sec. 11, Art. XIII). 
We cannot put a price tag on the sacrifices and dedication of our selfless healthcare 
workers or providers which they have for a long time exhibited. This was tested to the limits 
in the Covid-19 pandemic notwithstanding the reality that they are not well compensated. 
Unfortunately, the Regional Wages and Productivity Boards are restricted in issuing wage 
orders unless extraordinary economic circumstances arise.  
This bill, therefore, seeks to recognize and compensate the hard work and the critical 
and sacrificial role, and invaluable kindness of our healthcare workers or providers in 
providing quality and prompt healthcare services for the promotion and protection of health 
for the general welfare of the people which is essential for the enjoyment of the blessings of 
democracy, especially in times of public health emergencies and calamities. 
       Healthy, dedicated, and efficient healthcare workers or providers mean healthy people 
and a healthy nation, the people being the most important asset of a nation. 
In view hereof, the early approval of this bill is earnestly requested. 
BIENVENIDO M. ABANTE, JR.
November 4, 2024
3:06 pm


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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
Third Regular Session 
House Bill No. 11023 
Introduced by: Congressman BIENVENIDO M. ABANTE, JR. 
AN ACT 
INCREASING THE SALARIES OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE HEALTHCARE WORKERS  
OR PROVIDERS, GRANTING THEM MANDATORY BENEFITS AND ALLOWANCES 
DURING PANDEMICS, EPIDEMICS, AND OTHER PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCIES, 
AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR 
       Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
 SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Healthcare Workers Act of 2024”. 
       SEC. 2 Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared a policy of the State to recognize and 
compensate the critical and sacrificial role of healthcare workers or providers in providing quality 
and prompt healthcare services for the promotion and protection of health for the general welfare 
of the people which is essential for the enjoyment of the blessings of democracy especially in 
times of public health emergencies and calamities, and to alleviate their living conditions through 
policies and measures that provide a decent and humane standard of living and improved 
quality of life that ensure their well-being and economic security. 
       SEC. 3  Coverage. - This Act shall apply to all healthcare workers or healthcare providers in 
both the public and private sectors employed in or assigned to health facilities as the terms are 
defined in this Act, which includes medical and allied-fields practitioners, staff, aides in hospitals, 
sanitaria, rural health units, health centers, barangay health stations, clinics, laboratories, and 
other health-related establishments duly authorized or recognized by the Department of Health. 
 SEC. 4  Definition of Terms. - For purposes of this Act: 
(a) Healthcare pertains to the care, maintenance, or improvement of the health of persons
through the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, and chronic management
of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental ailments or impairments.
(b) Health facilities shall refer to any public or private institution with healthcare as its core
service, function, or business. For purposes of this Act, health facilities and other


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health-related establishments shall refer to those duly licensed, authorized, 
recognized, or designated by the Department of Health (DOH) to operate or function 
as such, such as public and private hospitals, clinics, and laboratories, including the 
DOH-Central 
Office, 
Central 
Centers 
for 
Health 
Development 
(CHD), 
Provincial/City/Municipal/Barangay or Rural Health Centers or Units. 
 
(c) Healthcare workers or providers shall refer to persons who are engaged in healthcare and 
health-related works as the term is defined in this Act which shall include, but not 
limited to, physicians, nurses, midwives, nutritionists, dietitians, pharmacists, social 
workers, laboratory technicians, paramedical technicians, psychologists, attendants, 
and other allied health professionals, including administrative and support personnel 
who are employed in or assigned to health facilities as the term is defined in this Act. 
 
(d) Public health emergency shall refer to an occurrence or imminent threat of illness or 
health condition of national scale, that: 
 
(1) Is caused by any of the following: 
 
(i) 
Bioterrorism; 
(ii) 
Appearance of a novel or previously controlled or eradicated infectious 
agent or biological toxin; 
(iii) A natural disaster; 
(iv) A chemical attack or accident; or 
(iv) A nuclear attack or accident; or 
(v) 
An attack or accidental release of radioactive materials; and 
 
(2) Poses a high probability of any of the following occurrences: 
 
(i) 
A large number of deaths in the affected population; 
(ii) 
A large number of serious injuries or long-term disabilities in the affected 
population; 
(iii) Widespread exposure to an infectious or toxic agent that poses a significant 
risk of substantial harm to a large number of people in the affected 
population; 
(iv) International exposure to an infectious or toxic agent that poses a significant 
risk to the health of citizens of other countries; or 
(iv) Trade or travel restrictions. 
 
          SEC. 5  Wage Increase. - The daily rate of all healthcare workers or providers employed in or 
assigned to health facilities and establishments as the terms are defined under this Act shall be 
increased by Two Hundred Fifty Pesos (P250.00) upon the effectivity of this Act. Nothing 
in this Act shall prevent or prohibit the respective Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity 
Boards from granting additional increases to such healthcare workers or providers on the basis 
of their determination pursuant to Republic Act No. 6727, otherwise known as the “Wage 
Rationalization Act”, as amended. 
 


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          SEC. 6 Grant of Health Emergency Allowance. – In case of public health emergency the 
national government or the private employer, as the case may be, shall grant Health Emergency 
Allowance (HEA) to healthcare workers or providers employed in or assigned to health facilities 
as the terms are defined in this Act for every month of service during the state of emergency 
based on the risk exposure categorization as may be determined and defined by the Department 
of Health in the following amounts: 
 
(1) Those deployed in “low-risk areas” shall be given at least Two Thousand Pesos 
(P2,000.00); 
 
(2) Those deployed in “medium risk areas” shall be given at least Three Thousand Five 
Hundred Pesos (P3,500.00); 
 
(3) Those deployed in “high-risk areas” shall be given at least Five Thousand Five 
Hundred Pesos (P5,500.00). 
 
SEC. 7 Correction of Wage Distortion in Private Health Facilities. - Where a wage distortion 
occurs as a result of the increase in the minimum wage under this Act, the employer and the 
union, or the employer and the workers in the absence of a union, shall negotiate to correct the 
distortion in accordance with the provisions of Article 124 of Presidential Decree No. 442 or 
the "Labor Code of the Philippines", as amended, and other existing laws, rules and regulations. 
  
          SEC. 8 Non-Chargeability of Prior Increases in Private Health Facilities. - No wage increase 
shall be credited as compliance with the increase prescribed herein unless expressly provided under 
valid collective bargaining agreements: Provided, That where such increase is less than the 
prescribed increase under this Act, the employer shall pay the difference. Such increases 
shall not include anniversary wage increases, merit wage increases, and those resulting from 
the regularization or promotion of employees. 
 
          SEC. 9 Non-Diminution of Other Benefits. - Nothing in this Act shall be construed to 
eliminate, or in any way reduce or diminish benefits or allowance in any form being 
enjoyed by healthcare workers or providers under Republic Act No. 7305 or the “Magna Carta of 
Public Health Workers” and other laws, decrees, issuances, and executive orders or any 
contract or agreement between workers and employers, as the case may be,  at the time of the 
effectivity of this Act. 
 
SEC. 10 Prohibition Against Double Recovery of Benefits. - Whenever other laws provide for 
the same benefits covered by this Act, the healthcare worker or provider shall have the option to 
choose which benefits will be paid to him/her. However, in the event that the benefits chosen are 
less than that provided under this Act, the worker shall be paid only the difference. 
 
SEC. 11 Establishment of a Grievance Mechanism. - The DOH shall issue guidelines on the 
creation of an ad hoc Grievance Board which shall be composed of three (3) members that will 
receive, investigate, adjudicate, and recommend actions to arrive at the settlement of complaints 
related to any violation of or non-compliance to the benefits provided for under this. The DOH 
shall likewise create Regional ad hoc Grievance Boards in its Regional Offices. 
 


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The Grievance Board shall be composed of the following: 
 
One (1) grievance officer appointed by the DOH; 
 
One (1) representative from the health professional organizations; and 
 
One (1) arbitration officer from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) 
exercising jurisdiction where the health facility concerned is located. 
 
SEC. 12 Inspection by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). - The DOLE shall 
conduct an inspection of payroll and other financial records kept by private health facilities to 
determine whether these healthcare workers or providers are paid the prescribed minimum 
wage increase and/or allowances provided in this Act and other benefits granted by law. In 
unionized healthcare facilities, the DOLE inspectors shall always be accompanied by the 
president or any responsible officer of the recognized bargaining unit or of the interested union in 
the conduct of the inspection. In non-unionized healthcare facilities, the inspection should 
be carried out in the presence of the healthcare workers' representative. 
 
SEC. 13 Penalties. - Any person, corporation, partnership, association or entity violating any 
provision of this Act shall be punished by a fine of not less than Fifty thousand pesos (P50,000.00) 
but not more than One hundred thousand pesos (P100,000.00) plus moral damages for each affected 
healthcare worker or provider and the costs of litigation including attorney's fees, or 
imprisonment of not less than two (2) years nor more than four (4) years, or both at the 
discretion of the court: Provided, That if the violation is committed by a corporation, partnership, 
association or any other entity, the penalty of imprisonment shall be imposed upon the entity's 
responsible officers including, but not limited to, the president, vice president, chief 
executive officer, general manager,  and managing director or partner. The employer concerned 
shall be ordered to pay an amount equivalent to double the unpaid benefits owing to 
the Healthcare worker or provider: Provided, That the payment of indemnity shall not absolve 
the employer from the criminal liability imposable under this Act: Provided, further, That any 
person convicted under this Act shall not be entitled to the benefits provided for under the 
Probation Law. 
 
          Failure on the part of any corporation, partnership, association, or any other entity to 
comply with the provisions of this Act shall be a ground for non-renewal of its business permits. 
 
SEC. 14 Construction in Favor of Healthcare Worker or Provider. -  All doubts in the 
implementation and interpretation of the provisions of this Act, including its implementing rules 
and regulations, shall be resolved in favor of the healthcare worker or provider. 
 
SEC. 15 Appropriations. - The amount necessary for the implementation of this Act shall be 
charged against the available appropriations of the DOH and any sources available as may be 
identified by the DBM. Thereafter, the amount necessary for its continuous implementation 
giving consideration to the possible occurrence of a state of national public health emergency, 
shall be included in the General Appropriations Act (GAA) subject to existing budgeting, 
accounting, and auditing rules and regulations. 
 


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         SEC. 16 Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within sixty (60) days after the effectivity of 
this Act, the DOH, the DBM and the Department of Finance shall, in consultation with other 
government agencies and concerned stakeholders, promulgate the implementing rules and 
regulations to efficiently carry out the provisions of this Act: Provided, That the non-promulgation 
of such rules and regulations shall not prevent the immediate implementation of this Act upon 
effectivity thereof. 
 
         SEC. 17 Separability 
Clause. - 
If any part or parts of this Act shall be declared 
unconstitutional or invalid, other sections or provisions hereof not affected thereby shall continue 
to be in full force and effect. 
 
         SEC. 18 Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, executive orders, executive issuances or letters 
of instruction, rules, and regulations, or any part thereof inconsistent with or contrary to the 
provisions of this Act are hereby deemed repealed, amended, or modified accordingly. 
 
         SEC. 19 Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in 
the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation 
 
 
Approved.