Philippines to dole out compensation to COVID-19-positive workers
- Claire Lee
Filipinos working in private and public sectors who contract COVID-19 at their workplaces may receive compensation, said the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
To receive the compensation, workers will need to present a certificate of employment, an RT-PCR test, and accompanying medical records, said DOLE Occupational Safety and Health Center executive director Noel Binag, reports CNN.
In February, Binag said that the department was seeking the declaration of COVID-19 as a work-related illness.
DOLE’s Occupational Safety and Health Center has also submitted the recommendation to the governing board of the Employees Compensation Commission, which is responsible for crafting policies on the declaration.
In March, Philippines senator Risa Hontiveros renewed her push for the passage of a bill that would ensure that private and public sector workers would be able to access their life and health insurance benefits should they contract COVID-19.
READ: Philippines disbursed US$215.9 million in maternity benefits in 2020
Under such a circumstance, workers would be provided flexible sick leave, on top of their existing 15-day statutory medical leave.
“Our workers deserve better working conditions, full coverage and protection against today’s risks especially that their workplaces are fast becoming ‘hotspots’,” she said in a statement.
