EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
)
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
Second Regular Session 
)
f.f liK Cj.'irfl-irp
SENATE
20 NOV 10 ATI :49
Introduced by Senator Ralph G. Recto
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
Under Proclamation No. 1021, President Rodrigo Duterte has extended 
the declaration of the State of Calamity over the Phiiippines untii September 12 of 
2021, as the country continues to battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. In 
response. Congress has enacted significant iaws that not only help our countrymen 
to heal but also help them to recover from the health as well as the economic crisis.
These measures have recognized the importance of our medical and allied 
medical frontliners and appreciated the great personal sacrifices they are making in 
order to protect our people and win the war against the Covid-19. In return, we 
show our gratitude by statutorily ensuring that they are protected and properly 
compensated by providing them the proper personal equipment and granting them 
hazard pay, among others.
This biil seeks to recognize the invaluable role of support workers in 
government hospitais in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic by granting them a 
hazard pay during the public health emergency as declared under Procclamation No.


1021, s. 2020. These support workers refer to sanitation workers, housekeepers, 
food service workers, janitors, security guards, equipment and buiiding maintenance 
staff, inciuding those hospitai support workers hired by contract of service agencies. 
Without them, the hospitai operation wiii coiiapse.
The pandemic has been especiaiiy hard for these workers. Most of them 
quietiy toil on minimum pay despite the high-risk work that they do. In the war 
against COVID-19, they report to their battle stations everyday with meager 
compensation but with commitment and hard work. They are low-paid workers but 
are still classified as employed - thus, disqualifying them from receiving emergency 
government aid for the jobless and because they are not allied medical and health 
workers and some are private employees under contract of service, they are not 
entitled to hazard pay as contemplated in the Bayanihan II law. They stand 
shoulder to shoulder with the medical and allied medical staff in hospitals, but are 
not entitled to COVID-19 hazard pay under existing laws and executive issuances 
despite facing the same health risks.
While the government is able to provide financial relief to people who stay at 
home, adequate relief and compensation should also be given to our hospital 
support workers who are putting to risk not only their lives but also that of their 
families in order to perform their jobs and protect us all. A fair and equitable system 
for hazard pay should compensate essential frontline workers who face significant 
exposure to the Covid-19. Moreoever, priority should be given to workers who 
currently earn modest wages.
The hospital support frontliners perform a significant function in the hospital. 
Together with the medical and allied medical staff, they offer our best defense 
against the spread of the COVID-19. Unfortunately, they are also most vulnerable to 
infection themselves because of their close interaction with patients. Let us support 
them with commensurate compensation including hazard pay and alleviate their 
plight so that they can be more effective in their efforts to share in the responsibility 
of mitigating the disease.


In light of the foregoing, immediate passage of this biii is earnestiy sought.
/MFO


EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
)
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
Second Regular Session 
)
nC (!j; £•■ vr‘tnrj:
SENATE
s. no.1908
Introduced by Senator Ralph G. Recto
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:
1 
Section 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Hazard Pay for
2 
Support Workers in Public Hospitals Act".
3 
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby a declared policy of the State that
4 
it shall protect the rights of workers and promote their welfare. Furthermore, the
5 
State recognizes that the COVID-19 pandemic is a national health emergency that
6 
has negatively impacted all its citizens especially the poor and the marginalized.
7 
In line with this, the State shall ensure that just and equitable compensation
8 
be provided to all workers similarly situated.
9 
Sec. 3. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act:
10 
(a) "Support workers" refer to sanitation workers, housekeepers, food
11 
servers, institutional workers, janitors, security guards, equipment and
12 
building maintenance staff employed or deployed in public hospitals;
13 
(bpHazard pay" refers to the additional compensation paid to employees
14 
who are working under hazardous conditions or in extreme physical
15 
discomfort or distress;
1


1 
(c) "Public hospitdis" refer to a hospital owned, operated or funded by the
2 
State, which may outsource the work performed by the hospital
3 
support workers to a non-government third-party agency; and
4 
(d) "Health emergency" refers to the Covld-19 pandemic as declared in
5 
Presidential Proclamation No. 1021, series of 2020.
6 
Sec. 4. Grant of the Covid-19 Hazard Pay. - All support workers as defined in
7 
Section 3 of this Act, employed or assigned in public hospitals, who are directly
8 
catering to or in contact with Covid-19 patients are entitled to the grant of Covid-19
9 
hazard pay during the state of national emergency as declared by the President:
10 
Provided, That such support workers include those employed by contract of service
11 
agencies and assigned to a public hospital.
12 
Hospital support workers who are already entitled to hazard pay, hazardous
13 
duty pay, hazard allowance or other similar benefits under existing laws, issuances,
14 
rules, and regulations shall continue to be entitled to such benefits or the Covid-19
15 
hazard pay provided in this Act, whichever is higher.
16 
Sec. 5. Rate of Hazard Pay. - The rate of the hazard pay shall not be more
17 
than twenty-five percent (25%) of the daily salary rate received by the hospital
18 
support worker, subject to availability of funds. The hazard pay shall be based on
19 
the number of days the support worker physically reports to work In the Covid-19
20 
section of the hospital during the national health emergency.
21 
Sec. 6. Appropriations. - For 2020, the funds needed for the grant of the
22 
Covid-19 hazard pay authorized in this Act shall be charged against any savings of
23 
the National Government or the Contingent Fund under the General Appropriations
24 
Act for 2020, upon approval of the President of the Philippines: Provided, That
25 
government hospitals may also grant such hazard pay using their available
26 
Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) allotments without need for
27 
prior authority from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM): Provided,
28 
further, That all mandatory expenses shall have been paid first.
29 
For 2021, such amount necessary for the implementation of this Act shall be
30 
included In the 2021 General Appropriations Act.


1 
Hospitals run by the local government units may grant hazard pay in
2 
accordance with this Act chargeable against available local funds.
3 
Sec. 7. Retroactive Application. -The grant of the Covid-19 hazard pay shall
4 
be effective beginning March 17, 2020.
5 
Sec. 8. Separability Clause. - Should any provision of this Act or any part
6 
thereof be declared invalid, the other provisions, insofar as they are separable from
7 
the invalid ones, shall remain in full force and effect.
8 
Sec. 9. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, letters of instruction,
9 
resolutions, orders or parts thereof which are inconsistent with the provisions of this
10 
Act are hereby repealed, modified or amended accordingly.
11 
Sec. 10. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after
12 
its publication in the Official Gazette or in any national newspaper of general
13 
circulation.
Approved,