Manila City government said they would give P1 million endowment to it health workers who have died of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Manila Mayor Isko Moreno signed the Ordinance No. 8639 or the Bagong Bayani Endowment Benefit Ordinance of 2020 yesterday. It stated that employees from the Manila Health Department (MHD) or from district hospitals operated by the city government should they succumb to the respiratory disease.
“For purposes of this ordinance, health workers shall mean all persons who are engaged in health and health-related work, and all persons employed in all city-owned hospitals and Manila Health Department (MHD), regardless of their employment status,” the ordinance read.
The ordinance set the qualified beneficiaries of fallen healthcare workers, including:
- surviving spouse and children whether legitimate or illegitimate
- surviving parents, nearest ascendants, nearest descendants or surviving siblings
- common-law partner (30% will go to the partner, and the remaining 70% will go to the children, whether legitimate or illegitimate)
- In addition to the endowment benefit, surviving children—should the fallen healthcare worker have any—would be given a scholarship in the city’s schools and or universities.
Also read: Manila begins targeted COVID-19 mass testing
In addition to the endowment benefit, surviving children—should the fallen healthcare worker have any—would be given a scholarship in the city’s schools and or universities.
“This shall cover deaths of health workers which occurred from the start of the declaration of public health emergency throughout the Philippines on 08 March 2020 and shall continue to be in full force and effect until a vaccine for the COVID-19 has been developed and certified by the Food and Drug Administration,” the ordinance reads.
Beneficiaries of the endowment fund must be able to present an authenticated copy of the death certificate stating that the healthcare worker has died due to COVID-19.
The ordinance takes effect immediately and would continue to be in effect until a vaccine for the COVID-19 has been developed and certified by the Food and Drug Administration, the mayor added.
As of April 30, the Philippines has recorded 8,488 confirmed cases, 568 deaths, and 1,043 deliveries.
Also read: Mayor Isko orders 24-hour shutdown of Tondo barangay after holding boxing, bingo games