BACOLOD City – The local government unit here is pushing for the grant of hazard pay and special risk allowance to city hall employees involved in the frontline and other essential services during the enhanced community quarantine.
The city council’s committees on Appropriation, Finance and Health will conduct a hearing today, July 17 to tackle this matter.
Earlier, Mayor Evelio Leonardia requested the city council through Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran to pass a resolution seeking to provide hazard allowance to qualified city hall workers.
These personnel include the regular employees, job order workers, and contractual employees.
“This is a form of saying thank you and to show our appreciation to their hard work and heroism during these trying times,” Leonardia said.
Councilor Cindy Rojas, who chairs the said the Appropriation, Finance and Health committees, noted that the conference will be held Friday afternoon and the deliberation and approval are slated next week.
To recall, Leonardia issued Executive Order No. 26 placing Bacolod under ECQ from March 30 to April 14. He extended this from April 15 to 30. Leonardia ordered another ECQ extension from May 1 to 15 through Executive Order No. 34. Bacolod City was placed under ECQ for a total of 47 days.
Meanwhile, City Budget Officer Ma. Imelda Williams said that based on the availability of funds of the city government, each of the qualified personnel will receive a hazard pay of P350 per day for a given number of days actually rendered during the 47-day period.
On the other hand, each of the qualified personnel will receive a one-time special risk allowance, which is equivalent to a maximum of 25 percent of their monthly basic pay. The Department of Budget and Management released a budget circular providing a pro-rated computation of the special risk allowance.
“A personnel receiving a “regular hazard pay” may avail of a COVID-19 hazard pay – whichever is higher,” Williams said.
She explained that although the maximum amount for hazard pay is P500 based on the DBM budget circular, the local government unit could give at most P350 per day per personnel.
On March 23, President Rodrigo Duterte issued Administrative Order No. 26 authorizing the grant of hazard pay to government personnel who physical report for work during the period of implementation of ECQ.
Duterte also issued Administrative Order No. 28 on April 6 authorizing the grant of special risk allowance to frontline public health workers – those who have great exposure to health risks and physical hardships in the line of duty during the period of ECQ.
The DBM then released corresponding Budget Circulars 2020-1 and 2020-2 for the guidelines on hazard pay and special risk allowance./PN
