Health workers groups hold a protest at the Philippine Orthopedic Center seeking to increase the personnel economic relief allowance to P5,000, among other calls. Agatha Gregorio, ABS-CBN News
MANILA - Health workers staged a lunch break protest on Friday at the Philippine Orthopedic Center to call for an increase in the personnel economic relief allowance (PERA) from P2,000 to P5,000, as well as a P36,000 entry salary for public and private health workers.
National Orthopedic Hospital Workers Union-Alliance of Health Workers (NOHWU-AHW) President Ricardo Antonio said they support the Alliance of Concerned Teachers’ (ACT) previous petition for a PERA hike.
ACT Teachers party-list Representative Antonio Tinio earlier lamented the proposed P500 PERA increase under the P11-billion allocation in the proposed 2027 budget, saying this is insufficient.
“Pagdating sa budget deliberation, 500 lang po ang dinagdag sa 2,000. So ‘yung 2,000 po namin na magiging 2,500 lang po. Sa tingin po ba natin, makabubuhay po ‘yung dagdag na 500 sa panahon ngayon? Lahat po nagtaasan– bilihin, lalo na ‘yung mga langis, krudo,” Antonio said.
From P2,000 to P5,000: ACT wants economic aid hike for gov't employees
For health workers who were unable to leave their work stations, the Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) went from ward to ward at the health facility in Quezon City to forward their calls.
“Bago po kami mag-noise barrage ng 12 to 1 dito, kami po ay nag-start ng 10 a.m. sa mga ward offices kagaya ng accounting, finance, budget– bawat offices at ward, nagpapa-picture po kami at binibitbit po namin ang panawagan ng unyon,” Antonio said.
“Ipinapaliwanag po natin kung bakit po kami nag-ward ward at sinasabi ko, ‘Ito pong benepisyo ay lahat tayo ay makikinabang. Hindi po laban ‘to ng unyon, kundi laban po nating lahat ng empleyado dito sa POC.’ […] Kaya nag-silent protest tayo para ‘di man sila makalabas ay naiintindihan nila kung ano ang ipinaglalaban ng unyon dito sa POC,” Antonio added.
The protesters also raised other calls during Friday’s noise barrage, including the release of the 2021 to 2022 performance-based bonuses and the 2026 medical allowance.