Health group demands release of ‘long delayed’ incentive
A group of health workers held a protest on Tuesday in front of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) office to reiterate their demand for the release of their “long delayed” performance-based bonus (PBB) for the years 2021 to 2023.
“The PBB, which is meant to recognize and reward government workers for their performance, has instead become a source of frustration for us who kept the health-care system running during the worst public health crisis,” the Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) said in a statement.
It noted that many health workers in public hospitals and government health institutions have been kept waiting for their incentives “without just explanation,” even if they have already complied with all the necessary requirements.
“It is infuriating! This is not just a delay; it is an outright insult to every health worker who served on the front lines,” said John Paul Gubaton, president of the Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center Employees Union-AHW.
Overworked, underpaid
“We worked tirelessly, risking our lives and the lives of our families to care for patients during the pandemic. We endured the lack of [Personal Protective Equipment], [we were] overworked and underpaid and yet until now, the PBB we rightfully earned is nowhere to be found,” he added.
To show their frustration toward the DBM as well as the Marcos administration, some of the protesters also shaved their heads to highlight the “continued denial of their rightful benefits, salary increase, and the ongoing neglect of their rights and welfare.”
The PBB is a “top-up” annual bonus given to government personnel in accordance with their contribution to the accomplishment of their department’s overall targets and commitments. The government agencies are rated based on four general criteria: performance, process, financial and citizen or client satisfaction results.
The DBM had previously informed the unions under AHW that they would not be able to receive their bonuses because the Department of Health (DOH) failed to comply with the requirements needed for the granting of the PBB.
AHW, however, argued that hospitals should not be penalized when the DOH central office fails to perform its duties. The group said that each DOH hospital should be evaluated and rated individually for their performance, as the health-care workers in these facilities performed their duties responsibly and effectively.
Wage hike
Aside from their PBB, AHW members also called for a wage increase for health workers, with the entry-level salary pegged at P36,000. Nurses and other allied health professionals, on the other hand, should get a P50,000 entry-level pay.
The group also criticized the DOH’s proposed budget allocation for 2026, noting that it did not allot any funds for the hiring of additional health personnel despite an ongoing staff shortage in public hospitals due to the implementation of the “zero balance billing” policy. (See related story on this Page.)
“Under the Marcos Jr. administration, the deceptive implementation of the zero balance billing policy has caused a surge in patient admissions without a corresponding increase in manpower,” said Sally Ejes, president of the Philippine Heart Center Employees Association-AHW.
“Programs like the [Bagong Urgent Care and Ambulatory Service or Bucas] Centers have further overstretched an already burdened workforce, only worsening our working conditions,” she added.
