Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _______ 
Introduced by HON. GUS S. TAMBUNTING 
AN ACT 
GRANTING HAZARD PAY TO SUPPORT WORKERS IN PUBLIC HOSPITALS 
DURING THE PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY AS DECLARED IN PRESIDENTIAL 
PROCLAMATION NO. 1021 S. 2020 AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
This proposed measure seeks to provide hazard pay to hospital support staff (such as 
sanitation workers, institutional workers, janitors, security guards, equipment, and 
building maintenance staff) employed in public hospitals who are directly in contact with 
COVID-19 patients. Under this measure, they are entitled to additional compensation 
which should not exceed twenty-five percent (25%) of their daily wage effective March 
17, 2020. 
This measure is proposed in recognition of the valuable contribution of hospital support 
staff in our nation’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. As numerous measures have 
already been filed in recognition of the role of medical and allied medical frontliners, I 
believe it is only fitting that we also acknowledge the work of hospital support frontlines, 
whose work also largely contributes to our fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. 
Considering that most hospital support staff earn minimum wages, despite the 
significance of their work, I believe that it is important that they are given adequate support 
and commensurate compensation for the functions they perform and the risk they 
encounter daily.  
On behalf of the people of Parañaque City’s Second District, and for the common good 
of the Filipino people, the approval of the said measure is earnestly sought. 
REP. GUS S. TAMBUNTING 
2nd District, Parañaque City 
September 7, 2022
8:00 am
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _______ 
Introduced by HON. GUS S. TAMBUNTING 
AN ACT 
GRANTING HAZARD PAY TO SUPPORT WORKERS IN PUBLIC HOSPITALS 
DURING THE PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY AS DECLARED IN PRESIDENTIAL 
PROCLAMATION NO. 1021 S. 2020 AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the "Hazard Pay for Support 
Workers in Public Hospitals Act". 
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. – It is hereby a declared policy of the State that it shall 
protect the rights of workers and promote their welfare. Furthermore, the State recognizes 
that the COVID-19 pandemic is a national health emergency that has negatively impacted 
all its citizens especially the poor and the marginalized. 
In line with this, the State shall ensure that just and equitable compensation be provided 
to all workers similarly situated. 
Sec. 3. Definition of Terms. – As used in this Act: 
(a) ''Support workers" refer to sanitation workers, housekeepers, food servers,
institutional workers, janitors, security guards, equipment and building
maintenance staff employed or deployed in public hospitals;
(b) "Hazard pay" refers to the additional compensation paid to employees who are
working under hazardous conditions or in extreme physical discomfort or distress;
(c) ''Public hospitals" refer to a hospital-owned, operated, or funded by the State,
which may outsource the work performed by the hospital support workers to a
non-government third-party agency; and
(d) ''Health emergency" refers to the covid-19 pandemic as declared in Presidential
Proclamation No. 1021, series of 2020.
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Sec. 4. Grant of the Covid-19 Hazard Pay. – All support workers as defined in Section 
3 of this Act, employed or assigned in public hospitals, who are directly catering to or in 
contact with Covid-19 patients are entitled to the grant of Covid-19 hazard pay during the 
state of national emergency as declared by the President: Provided, that such support 
workers include those employed by the contract of service agencies and assigned to a 
public hospital. 
Hospital support workers who are already entitled to hazard pay, hazardous duty pay, 
hazard allowance, or other similar benefits under existing laws, issuances, rules, and 
regulations shall continue to be entitled to such benefits or the Covid-19 hazard pay 
provided in this Act, whichever is higher. 
Sec. 5. Rate of Hazard Pay. – The rate of the hazard pay shall not be more than twenty-
five percent (25%) of the daily salary rate received by the hospital support worker, subject 
to the availability of funds. The hazard pay shall be based on the number of days the 
support worker physically reports to work in the Covid-19 section of the hospital during 
the national health emergency. 
Sec. 6. Appropriations. – For 2020, the funds needed for the grant of the Covid-19 
hazard pay authorized in this Act shall be charged against any savings of the National 
Government or the Contingent Fund under the General Appropriations Act for 2020, upon 
approval of the President of the Philippines: Provided, That government hospital may also 
grant such hazard pay using their available Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses 
(MOOE) allotments without need for prior authorization from the Department of Budget 
and Management (DBM): Provided, further, That all mandatory expenses shall have been 
paid first. 
For 2021, the amount necessary for the implementation of this Act shall be Included in 
the 2021 General Appropriations Act. 
Hospitals run by the local government units may grant hazard pay by this Act chargeable 
against available local funds.  
Sec. 7. Retroactive Application. – The grant of the Covid-19 hazard pay shall be 
effective beginning March 17, 2020.  
Sec. 8. Separability Clause. – Should any provision of this Act or any part thereof be 
declared invalid, the other provisions, insofar as they are separable from the invalid ones, 
shall remain in full force and effect.  
Sec. 9. Repealing Clause. – All laws, decrees, letters of instruction, resolutions, orders, 
or parts thereof which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, 
modified, or amended accordingly.  
Sec. 10. Effectivity Clause. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in the Official Gazette or any national newspaper of general circulation. 
Approved,