AGAIN: Fuming Health Workers Doggedly Assail DBM for Non-payment of Benefits

Alliance of Health Workers

PRESS RELEASE

July 10, 2012

References:

Jossel I. Ebesate, National President, Mobile No: 09189276381

Robert T. Mendoza, Secretary General, Mobile No: 09324649757

“Six months have passed and for a number of times we were at the Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to demand our hazard pay and other benefits which are rightfully ours,” said Mr. Jossel Ebesate, AHW president. 

More than 29,000 health workers nationwide have not received their hazard pay until today. Worse, DOH issued a Department Memorandum No. 2012-0181 last June 25 stopping the issuance of hazard pay until DBM approves the use of the concerned agency’s savings as per the latter’s guidelines. Said memorandum was made without due consultation with the health workers. 

This is a violation of the Magna Carta of Health Workers (R.A. 7305) and the Joint Resolution # 4. Hazard pay is a recognition of the health workers’ nature of work which exposes them to occupational hazards as stipulated in the said laws.  Every day as the health workers enter the hospital, risks of various types are present.  All hospitals are homes of hazardous and even lethal pathogens that spread over the entire place. Even the patients themselves pose threats to health workers’ lives like the mental patients at the National Center for Mental Health.  

“We health workers are exposed to hazardous workplace. The delay and worse the nonpayment of our hazard pay is government’s neglect of our safety and well-being. We are at the forefront of saving people’s lives but our lives are at the constant threat of the hazards we are exposed to, daily. Hazard pay is recognized by law through RA 7305, and just compensation, which the government failed to pay until this time, as we continuously deliver the much needed health services to the people?” he further stressed.

The health workers are wary at the government’s intent to scrap the Magna Carta benefits as verbalized by DBM representatives in some consultations and meetings. This strengthens even more their resolve to protect their rights in all forms warranted at any given time. “We will stand for our rights and will not give up without a good fight,” Robert Mendoza declared. ###

Justice for the Morong 43

July 6, 2012

Reference: 

Gary Liberal, R.N. – 0922-575-1689

Spokesperson

After more than a year of filing a civil suit against former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the first ever legal case filed against her after she stepped down from being the country’s chief executive, and Armed Forces of the Philippines’ high officials, the first hearing is finally held today in the office of Judge Ma. Luisa Padilla of Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 226.

“We are somehow relieved that the case is finally moving in the court.  This is a step towards attaining justice,” nurse Gary Liberal said.

Regardless of what Arroyo and her camp does to deny their accountability for the illegal detention and torture of the 43 health workers in 2010 such as filing a motion to dismiss, Liberal and his group believes that the court will continue to exercise prudence in any decision it will make.  Early this June, Judge Padilla denied Arroyo’s, former AFP Chief of Staff Victor Ibrado and Gen. Delfin Bangit’s motion to dismiss stating “the court does not find any merit on Arroyo’s argument” and that the court shall wait for the presentation of evidence before deciding if Ibrado and Bangit should or should not be named as defendants in the case.

Out of desperation if not simple fib, Liberal revealed that the Philippine National Police Directorate for Personnel Services went as far as claiming that P/Supts. Marion Balonglong and  Allan Nubleza are in their roster while the address indicated in their answers filed in court were addressed to Camp Crame. Liberal said that deception has become an institutional practice in this government.

In the light of continuing attacks against health and development workers, as in the recent murder of Willem Geertman, executive director of Pampanga-based Alay Bayan, Inc., Justice for the 43 Health Workers! Alliance will continue to fight for justice until all state-backed human rights violators are punished under the law.  The Alliance also calls for continued public and media vigilance on their case.##

Unreleased Hazard Pay is Hazardous to our Health and Lives!

Alliance of Health Workers

PRESS RELEASE

July 2, 2012

Reference:     Jossel I. Ebesate, AHW National President, Mobile number: 0918-9276381

                        Emma S. Manuel, AHW President Emeritus, Mobile number: 0932-5224068

Indignant health workers storm the gates of the Department of Health today to protest the Department Memorandum Order stopping the release of health workers’ Hazard Pay.

DOH issued Memorandum Order No 2012-0181 on June 25, which ordered immediate stop in the payment of hazard pay and augmentation for laundry and subsistence allowances “to ensure uniform implementation and avoid future disallowances” until DBM approve the use of savings.

“Our health, lives and welfare are at stake! Where is the heart of DOH, Department of Budget & Management (DBM) and President Aquino for withholding our hard-earned benefits?,” said Jossel Ebesate, national president of Alliance of Health Workers. “Instead of upholding our rights and benefits and the patients’ welfare, the DOH is defending the inadequate budget for public hospitals and pushing the privatization of health services.”

Since January this year, health workers are protesting against the delay and decrease in hazard pay and other benefits as per DOH and DBM memoranda citing the provision in the General Appropriations Act requiring DBM approval for use of agency saving for benefits.

Hazard pay for most health workers is 25% of their basic salary, worth P2,000-P8,000/month per employee. This and other benefits are mandated by the Magna Carta of Public Health Workers (RA 7305). No fund was allotted for Magna Carta benefits since its approval in 1992, instead were charged to agency savings. DBM is now proposing a Joint Circular setting new guidelines for Magna Carta benefits which will reduce most benefits of health workers.

“The government, DOH and DBM are giving us the run-around. They mouth universal health care, but are actually starving us health workers and making poor patients pay for public health services. This is hazardous to health workers and people’s health!” Ebesate said.

Health workers will hold a series of actions which will peak on President Aquino’s 3^nd SONA.#

High Maternal Deaths, Delays in Health Workers’ Benefits Prove Futility of Aquino’s Privatization Policies

Alliance of Health Workers

Press Release

June 29, 2012

Reference: Jossel I. Ebesate, AHW National President, Mobile number: 0918-9276381

High maternal mortality rate and the continuing problems in health workers’ benefits are proof of the futility of privatization policies in improving people’s health.

This was the claim of Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) President Jossel Ebesate on the occasion of 2^nd anniversary of Benigno Aquino III’s presidency today.  AHW joined the protest action against Aquino’s Public Private Partnership (PPP) held in front of the Philippine General Hospital.

The Department of Health (DOH) last week admitted that Philippines failed to improve Maternal Mortality Rate with 221 deaths per 100,000 live births in the period 2006-2010 compared to 161/100,000 in 2000-2005.

Meanwhile, public hospital workers are protesting since January this year against their unpaid benefits worth P2,000-P8,000 per month.

“Contrary to the Aquino government’s grandiose target of universal health for the Filipinos, health services are becoming more inaccessible to the poor majority and health workers conditions’ have not improved. The Aquino government is continuing the privatization program started in 1990’s. The fee-for-service in public hospitals and hospital budget cuts are designed towards privatization under the Aquino government’s “Kalusugan Pangkalahatan”, Ebesate said.



Ebesate cited the case of Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital which now charges some P3,000-P5,000 for normal delivery and Tondo Medical Center which charges minimum of  P1,500-P2,000 per normal delivery as payment for supplies and use of delivery room. The Philippine General Hospital will also be charging indigent patients for selected diagnostic and laboratory procedures.  These hospitals previously provided free obstetric, delivery and other health services before the revenue enhancement program was implemented by the government.#

Orthopedic Hospital Workers Crippled by Delayed Benefits, Hit $1B Lending to IMF

Alliance of Health Workers

Press Release

June 27, 2012

References:

Sean Velches, NOHWU-AHW President, Mobile Number

Jossel I. Ebesate, AHW National President, Mobile number: 0918-9276381

Hospital workers from Philippine Orthopedic Center hold a picket rally today, in front of the hospital, in protest to the continued delay in payment of their benefits as they hit the government’s plan to lend $1B to International Monetary Fund and buy new jet fighters worth P15B. Officers of the Alliance of Health Workers led by its National President Mr. Jossel Ebesate are also present in support of the protesting public health workers.

“Our patients and health workers in public hospitals like ours are long crippled by inadequate health budget, but the Aquino government has the nerve to lend $1B to “help” other countries and spend billions of  pesos for jetfighters!” said Sean Velches, president of National Orthopedic Hospital Workers’ Union – Alliance of Health Workers (NOHWU-AHW).

Since January of this year, hospital workers under the Department of Health are protesting against the cuts and delays in Magna Carta benefits worth P2,000-8,000/month. The Department of Budget Management points to the provision in the General Appropriations Act requiring DBM approval prior to the use of savings for benefits. Despite health workers’ demand for immediate release of benefits, the DOH recently issued Memorandum Order No. 2012-0181 stopping the release of hazard pay.

The $1B pledge to IMF is equivalent to roughly P42B, more than enough to cover the P2B Magna Carta benefits and provide additional allotment to 68 public hospitals nationwide. Protesters claim the government continues to violate the Magna Carta of Public Health Workers or RA 7305 which mandated the inclusion of health workers’ benefits in the national budget.

“If the Aquino government has any heart at all for the poor, instead of unnecessary expenses and privatization, he should have allotted adequate funds for public hospitals and health workers’ benefits – this will go a long way in saving people’s lives,” said Velches. #