President Rodrigo Duterte has announced a deadline for the Department of Health to give compensation benefits for frontliners and their families who were affected by COVID-19.
Presidential Spokesperson Secretary Harry Roque stated that President Duterte has given the DOH only until June 9 to release the money and provide compensations of Php1 million for frontliners who have died due to COVID-19 and Php100,000 for those who have suffered from severe cases of COVID-19, as outlined in Republic Act 11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal as One law.
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Guidelines for the cash assistance are expected to be released on June 4 according to DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire.
“We are hopeful that within the day, this signed joint administrative order will be already issued. We just need to have the funds ready. The funds will be taken out of different budgets,” said Undersecretary Vergeire who furthered that Health Secretary Francisco Duque III has already signed the joint administrative order (JAO) for the implementation of section 4 of the Bayanihan to Heal as One act.
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The DOH has already reached out to the 32 families of the COVID-19 frontliners in the Philippines who have died due to the disease. Out of the 32 families, DOH has obtained details for 16 of them. Meanwhile, DOH has also secured details of 79 beneficiaries for COVID-19 frontliners who are in the critical and severe stages.
“We’ve contacted all 32 families (of those who died). We are processing the checks and working out necessary documents they need to submit to avail the benefits,” the DOH said in a separate statement.
