Working long hours and exposing themselves to the coronavirus while all of us are in the safety of our own homes, our frontliners need every little bit of support to somehow ease the tremendous amount of work and pressure they have to endure during this period.
A week after the declaration of the Enhanced Community Quarantine in Luzon, frontliners in the public sector are now going to get a P500 daily hazard pay as per Administrative Order No. 26 signed by President Rodrigo Duterte on March 23, 2020.
The AO covers personnel of agencies under the Executive Department who have been "authorized to physically report for work at their respective offices or work stations on the prescribed official working hours by the head of agency or office during the period of implementation of Enhanced Community Quarantine measures in the area of such office or work station."
Those entitled to get hazard pay are employees constituting the skeleton staff of national government agencies under the Executive Department, state universities and colleges, as well as government-owned and -controlled corporations.
Employees belonging to the Legislative and Judicial Departments, local government units, and local water districts may also be entitled to the P500 daily hazard pay subject to certain conditions.
Private hospitals are encouraged to likewise give their frontliners an equivalent hazard pay.
WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE?
In a bid to stem the further spreading of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Philippine government imposed an Enhanced Community Quarantine in Luzon, Philippines from March 17 to April 14, 2020. Under this quarantine, people's movements in Luzon, including Metro Manila, are restricted to only essential tasks.
Schools, malls, and private businesses are temporarily closed, except those providing essential services, such as pharmacies, grocery stores, food manufacturers. and banks, among others. Everybody else had to work from home.
There are exceptions, though. Hospitals are to continue operating, obviously. The police, armed forces, and firefighters need to report for duty, too. Government offices providing essential services will also be working with skeleton staff.
Do you know any frontliner working during the Enhanced Community Quarantine? How are they doing? How do you show support to them? Join in the discussion by posting in the comments section below.