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Health care frontliners call for better bene ts

by RED MENDOZA ManilaTimes.net

HUNDREDS of private and public health care workers marched in Manila on Friday, MAy 5 to demand an increase in salaries, job security, and prompt release of COVID-19 benefits.

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The protest march organized by the Health Workers United For Wage Fight (HWUWF) is in line with the observance of National Health Workers' Day on Friday.

The group marched from España Boulevard to the foot of the Mendiola bridge.

Robert Mendoza, president of the Alliance of Health Workers and convenor of the HWUWF, said it was ironic that health care workers are being called "modern-day heroes" while they are being neglected by the government when it comes to their rights and welfare.

The group noted that in government hospitals, regular health workers only receive P13,000 per month under Salary Grade 1, while private health care workers only receive P570 per day.

Salome Ejes, president of the Philippine Heart Center Employees Association-AHW, said that their monthly pay is not enough for the increasing cost of daily basic needs and expenses.

"How can an ordinary health worker live decently? Our ATM cards are already pawned in order to survive. It is just rightful for us to demand for a wage increase amounting to P33,000 as entry salary for SG-1 public health workers and P1,100/day for private health workers," Ejes added.

The group also called for the continued payout of their Health Emergency Allowance and Performance-Based Bonuses for the year 2021 and 2022, while other health care workers in the private sector, local government hospitals, and other health facilities are still waiting for their One Covid Allowance and Health Emergency Allowances from July to December 2021 and January to June 2022. They also deplored the rampant

“Nakapagbaba tayo ng 1,500 plus na krimen at iyan po ay iyong mga eight focused crimes. Kaya nakikita natin, iyong ating different anti-criminality strategies, nakikita naman natin na ito po ay epektibo (We were able to reduce 1,500 plus crimes of the so-called eight focus crimes. That's why we see, our different anti-criminality strategies, we see that it is effective),” he added. The eight focus crimes include murder, homicide, physical injury, robbery, theft, vehicle theft, motorcycle theft and rape. Index crimes are serious crimes such as murder, homicide, physical injury, robbery, rape, theft, and carjacking, while nonindex crimes are violations of local ordinances and laws and vehicular accidents.

Maranan said that under PNP chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr.'s leadership, the PNP will deploy policemen in barangays identified by the local police forces as crimeprone areas as part of preemptive efforts against criminality.

“The focus of our new PNP chief, Gen. Acorda, is to assign police to crime-prone barangays. We have already identified that and that will be the priority of our deployment… in the crimeprone barangays. And we have also identified police regional offices that will be the ones to lead because in their area of responsibility, that's where we saw those barangays with the most crime occurring,” he added.

Maranan earlier said the move is a strategic action plan as the national police do not have enough manpower to guard over 100 million Filipinos across the country.

Maranan explained that police visibility has been proven as a crime deterrent over the years.

He emphasized the importance of the cooperation of the barangay officials in maintaining peace and order.

He said that strong coordination between the police and the community lies on the cooperation

Recto proposes total NAIA check-up after T3 power outage

HOUSE of Representatives

Deputy Speaker Ralph Recto on Wednesday, May 3 acknowledged the move of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to audit the electrical system of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) after the power outage at Terminal 3 early Monday, May 1.

The Batangas lawmaker, however, said a complete check-up of the country’s ailing international airport is more appropriate.

“And whatever work to be done should be submitted as one package, so the remedies will not be several ‘Band-Aid of cures,' but a wellness package,” Recto said.

He said even if this “light bulb moment" had come too late, after the airport had been hit with electrical crashes, it should be treated as an urgent request.

“Every time NAIA is hit with a blackout, the nation gets a black eye,” he added.

The NAIA management said it would need P1 billion for a new electrical system.

The gross revenues of the Manila

International Airport Authority (MIAA), which runs NAIA, in 2019 was P15.2 billion.

Of the given amount, PHP1.8 billion were remitted to the National Treasury as the government's share of the profits.

This, Recto said, was aside from the P2.2 billion tax payments, adding that despite the big deductions, the MIAA managed to post a net income of P5 billion.

He cited as an example the “travel tax” exacted from departing Filipino passengers in 2019 where the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) collected a whooping PHP7.2 billion.

Recto said the Bureau of Immigration (BI) had also a gross income of PHP10.5 billion in 2019.

He said even the Office for Transportation Security – the ones in charge of the X-ray machines –had collected PHP1.1 billion within a year from Airport Security Fee, which is tucked in with the airline ticket. (PNA) between the two, adding that it is the police commanders who are given the task to initiate it.

“The PNP cannot deploy policemen in each of the barangay. What we do is to cluster the barangay and then we either put up Police Community Precincts, police assistance desks or even a police outpost. We believe that if this is properly implemented, we would be able to reduce the crime, especially in the crime-prone barangays," he added. (PNA)

LOS ANGELES COUNTY METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY (LACMTA) INVITATION FOR BID

LACMTA will receive Bids for OP48505 - Pest and Bird Control at the 9th Floor Receptionist Desk, Vendor/Contract Management Department, One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90012 or electronically at: bids@metro.net.

A Virtual Pre-Bid Conference will be held on Thursday, May 11, 2023, at 12:00 p.m.

All Bids must be submitted to LACMTA in one of two ways: either (1) one hard copy original sealed envelope and marked with the IFB No. OP48505 of the entire proposal, including all submittal forms, submitted by mail or hand delivered to the reception desk, One Gateway Plaza, 9th floor V/CM Department, Los Angeles, CA 90012 or (2) submitted electronically via email to bids@metro.net on or before Monday, June 12, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. Local Time. Bids will be opened and publicly read at a time after receipt of bids. Bids received after the above date and time may be rejected and returned unopened. For a copy of the Proposal/ Bid specification visit our Solicitation Page on our Vendor Portal at https://business.metro.net or for further information email Shannon Thoene at thoenes@metro.net.

5/6/23

CNS-3697738# hiring of contractual, job order, and contract of service health care workers, while some of them are experiencing overwork due to the overcrowding of some government hospitals, which worsened during the pandemic.

ASIAN JOURNAL (L.A.)

The group has called on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to heed their long-standing demands, noting that the situation has been "alarming" as the health care system is now in "deep crisis." Sought for comment, Acting Health Secretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said they will continue to support health care workers, noting that they have discussed with Congress ways on how they could be dissuaded from leaving the country. 

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