EP 70: PH nurses demand COVID-19 duty benefits

A group of Filipino nurses has begun a 10-day countdown to pressure the Department of Health to complete the release of several benefits intended for health workers battling the COVID-19 pandemic at the frontlines.

For many of our overworked and underpaid nurses, the fact that the group had to resort to this speaks volumes about the kind of treatment they’re getting from the government despite their crucial role in this health crisis. 

Imagine, for instance, a nurse working long hours and earning some ten thousand pesos monthly. 

Paying her additional allowance — as mandated by law — will help… though we can all perhaps agree that she deserves much more.

The point is this — there’s a budget allocated for their benefits during the pandemic. But why are they getting them?

Is it a problem with red tape, negligence, or worse, government corruption?