Benefits for Health Workers Continue Despite Bayanihan 2 Funds Expiry

The benefits intended for health frontliners under the Bayanihan to Recover As One Act or Bayanihan 2 will continue to be provided despite the expiration of the law on June 30, its proponent in the Senate said.

Sen. Sonny Angara said benefits for health frontliners remains available as long as the state of national emergency is in effect.

"Hindi yung buong batas ang nag-eexpire. Talagang intention ng Congress na yung ibang benepisyo ng batas will outlive the June 30 deadline," he told dzBB in an interview.

Bayanihan 2 outlined P165 billion-worth of interventions to help the government address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The law provides a P1 million benefit to the heirs of a health worker who died from COVID-19, a P15,000 sickness benefit for health workers with mild and moderate COVID-19, and P10,000 monthly special risk allowance for public and private health workers treating COVID-19 patients.

Apart from the benefits for health workers, other provisions of the law, such as the streamlining of the requirements for large-scale infrastructure like cellsites, remain intact even after its funds expired, Angara said.

"For a period of three years, merong very minimal processing requirement sa pagtayo ng cellsite dahil yun ang naging finding na masyadong maraming [requirements]," he said.

Sen. Francis Pangilinan earlier filed a bill seeking further extension of the Bayanihan 2 funds until December 31 this year, saying that it will fast-track the government's response to the pandemic.