đź“·: Alliance of Health Workers | FB
Enraged health workers from various public hospitals in Metro Manila trooped to the Department of Budget and Management today for a picket dialogue, urging the DBM to release their long overdue Performance-Based Bonus covering the period of 2021 up to 2023. They also call for living wage, mass hiring of permanent health workers and express their concern over the recently passed Rightsizing Law.
It can be recalled that DOH hospitals did not receive their PBB due to the Department of Health’s non-compliance or failure to comply with the necessary requirements needed.
AHW unions stand firm that DOH hospitals should not be penalized or adversely affected if the Department of Health (DOH) Central Office fails to meet certain requirements for compliance with the Performance-Based Bonus (PBB). Each DOH hospital should be evaluated and rated individually, as these hospitals—together with dedicated health workers—have consistently performed their duties responsibly and effectively.
On April 11, 2024, the Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) held a dialogue to discuss various issues, particularly the unreleased Performance-Based Bonus (PBB), along with other concerns affecting health workers. During the meeting, Secretary Pangandaman assured the health workers that the DBM and the AO25 would reconsider the release of the 2021 PBB, recognizing that they had rendered service during the pandemic.
On July 2, 2025, AHW union leaders delivered a letter to the DBM once again, seeking an update and calling for a dialogue regarding the issue.
“But despite repeated appeals and inquiries, the release of the said bonuses has yet to be addressed until now. This delay continues to cause frustration and demoralization among health workers who have consistently rendered dedicated and essential service, especially during the most challenging period of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said John Paul Gubaton, president, Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center Employees Union-AHW.
“With the high cost of living today—rising prices, bills, and our children’s education expenses—the Performance-Based Bonus would be a big help in supplementing our meager salaries.” stated Sally Ejes, president, Philippine Heart Center Employees Association-AHW.
Health workers demand from the government a living wage increase that is based on the actual situation and demands of the government employees. It should be P36,000 entry salary for health workers or P1200 as national minimum wage and P50,000 entry salary for nurses and other allied health professionals.
More so, AHW strongly calls for the mass hiring of permanent health workers to address the chronic understaffing in public hospitals and health facilities, which continues to compromise the delivery of quality health services for the people.
AHW expresses deep concern over the recently passed Rightsizing Law, fearing that it may lead to the reduction or removal of essential health positions under the guise of streamlining government services. For health workers who have long endured job insecurity, low wages, and heavy workloads, the solution must be to strengthen, not downsize, the public health sector by creating more regular positions and ensuring decent working conditions.
Clearly, that even under the Marcos Jr. administration, the welfare of health workers and the health of the people have never been a priority. Indeed, we will continue our fight for a living wage, and we will remain steadfast in our principles and struggle.
Hundreds of health workers will join the People’s State of the Nation Address on July 28. #
