Workers of the Manila City local government unit will be receiving hazard pay for the days wherein they were required to physically report for work while the National Capital Region (NCR) was placed under the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) amid the coronavirus disease pandemic.

This, after Manila Mayor Francisco ‘Isko Moreno’ Domagoso, signed City Ordinance 8667 on Monday authorizing the payment of Covid-19 hazard pay for the Manila City government personnel who physically reported for work during the ECQ.

“The payment of Covid-19 hazard pay is hereby authorized to city government employees and personnel who physically report for work in their respective work stations during the implementation of an ECQ at PHP500 per day per person,” the ordinance read.

It stated that the following formula will be applied in computing the pay: PHP500 x number of days physically reporting for work during the ECQ from March 17, 2020, to May 15, 2020.

The total amount allotted by the city government for this is about PHP151 million.

Funding for the payment of the hazard pay shall be charged from the augmentation of the special activities fund, personal services, and the special activities fund and from the maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) in the fiscal year 2020 budget through available savings.

Personnel occupying regular, contractual or casual positions or are engaged through contract of service (COS), job order (JO), or other similar scheme are entitled to receive the hazard pay provided they have been authorized to physically report for work at their respective offices or workstations on the prescribed official working hours by the head of department, bureau or office during the ECQ.

Personnel who are already “entitled to receive hazard pay, hazardous duty pay, hazard allowance and other similar benefits under existing laws, issuances, rules and regulations, such as public health workers, public social workers, science and technology personnel and military and uniformed personnel, shall continue to be entitled to such benefits or the Covid-19 hazard pay, whichever is higher.”

The ordinance was signed pursuant to Malacañang’s Administrative Order No. 26, series of 2020 which authorized the grant of Covid-19 hazard pay to government personnel who physically reported for work. (PNA)