GORDON'S PROPOSAL TO PROVIDE P1M TO FAMILIES OF FILIPINO HEALTH
WORKERS DIED OF COVID-19 WHILE ON DUTY ADOPTED BY SENATE

Senator Richard J. Gordon's proposal to give additional compensation for Coronavirus disease (Covid-19)-affected Filipino health workers was adopted by the Senate on Monday, March 23, during a special session to deliberate on Senate Bill No. 1418 or the 'Bayanihan to Heal as One Act'.

As the Senators amended the bill that seeks to give the Chief Executive special powers to address and deal with the pandemic, Gordon, Vice Chairperson of the Committee on Finance, proposed that a compensation amounting to P1 million be given to the families of public and private health workers who contracted Covid-19 and died during the line of duty.

Health workers who are severely afflicted by the virus� on the other hand, shall be given P100,000 each.

"We have to put the money in such a way that it would be spent wisely, it would reach the people. [Iyong] doktor, nurse o medtech, kung mamatay, mabigyan sila, iyong kanilang pamilya ng at least panlaban dahil wala na sila, wala na iyong breadwinner, mayroong P1 million," Gordon said.

During the period of amendments, Gordon also said that government health workers and other frontliners should be given hazard pays and be provided with personal protection equipment (PPE) so that they will be protected against the virus.

"Iyong mga nurse natin, dapat may hazard pay, iyong mga nasa gobyerno natin, may hazard pay. Iyong mga magtse-check sa mga bahay kung magbibigay tayo ng pagkain o pera, dapat diyan mayroong PPE o proteksyon kapag nag-aabot tayo ng gamit. So, lahat iyan kailangang hanapin natin kung papaano natin tutulungan para maibsan na hindi na makadagdag pa na makakuha ng sakit dito sa laban sa Coronavirus," he said.

After a whole day of deliberations, SB No. 1418 was approved on third and final reading early morning of Tuesday, March 24, with 12-0 votes.

The meeting was scheduled after the national government requested the lawmakers to hold a special session to tackle a bill that seeks to realign available government funds and approve a supplemental budget that will be allocated to address the dangers of Covid-19 in the country.