Senator Dick Gordon welcomed the passing on third reading of Senate Bill No. 2421, a measure that he authored and co-sponsored, which extends the granting of COVID-19 benefits to both public and private healthcare workers.
Gordon, the vice-chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, said that he hopes that the continued awarding of monetary benefits to healthcare workers could serve as a morale-booster to them.
“This is a very badly-needed measure that will boost the morale of our healthcare workers.”
“I just wanted to thank the whole Senate for passing this bill, this is a very badly-needed measure that will boost the morale of our healthcare workers,” the veteran legislator said during his recent speech.
“This will mean people in the wards are not the only one to get the allowances but those who are also in the emergency facilities, pag nadaanan doon sa may COVID, dapat masama sila sa mga emergency allowances na ‘yan,” the veteran legislator added.
It may be recalled that the seasoned lawmaker was able to successfully include the allotment of the special risk allowance (SRA) for healthcare workers in the P5.024-trillion 2022 national budget.
As chair of the Senate blue ribbon committee, the seasoned lawmaker had repeatedly lamented and called for the awarding of long-delayed SRA and other allowances to healthcare workers.
Gordon, along with other senators, struck a dialogue with healthcare workers in mid-August 2021, where they were able to hear their problems.
The senator was thanked by his colleagues for acting immediately by filing the bill, which was consolidated in SB 2421.
“I will never forget that one of the resource persons was in tears.”
“We would like to thank Sen. Gordon for acting swiftly after our meeting some time in mid-August with the frontliners. I will never forget that one of the resource persons was in tears,” remarked Senator Kiko Pangilinan.
Under the consolidated measure, healthcare workers at low risk of contracting COVID-19 will be awarded P3,000 in allowances per month, P6,000 for medium-risk individuals, and P9,000 for high-risk workers.
