Republic of the Philippines

Department of Health
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION FOR THE GRANT OF SPECIAL RISK ALLOWANCE (SRA) UNDER BAYANIHAN II TO
RECOVER AS ONE ACT
References: Administrative Order 36, AO 42 Joint Circular (JC) 2 s. 2020, Joint Circular 1 s.2021

Questions Public Health Facilities Private Health Facilities

Are all Healthcare NO. RA 11494 or the Bayanihan II section specifically states that the grant of SRA is for public and
workers (HCWs) entitled private HCWs directly catering or in contact with COVID-19 patients.
to SRA?
Public and private HCWs shall refer to medical, allied medical and other personnel who directly provide
treatment and support care to COVID-19 patients.

HCWs directly catering to COVID refers to those HCWs who are managing COVID-19 positive in a health
facility. HCWs in contact with COVID-19 positive are those HWCs who support the management and
treatment of COVID 19 patients either under quarantine (at home or quarantine facility) or in the health
facility.

What is the period of Based on Administrative Order No. 36 s. 2020 and Administrative Order No. 42 s. 2021, eligible health
entitlement for SRA? workers reporting physically for work for the period of September 15, 2020 to June 30, 2021 are eligible
for the grant of SRA.

Who are entitled? The following eligibility requirements (3 out of 3) The following eligibility requirements (2 out of 2)
should be satisfied: should be satisfied :

For the Public Sector: For the Private Sector:

1. Civilian Employees regardless of status, COS

(Job Order) personnel engaged by the
 government, and duly-accredited and registered 1. Assigned in the designated COVID-19 units of
Barangay Health Workers (BHWs); hospitals, laboratories, or medical and
quarantine facilities as certified by the DOH.
[for LGUs, the list of frontline health workers shall
be determined by the Local Health Board] 2. Directly providing critical and urgent treatment
and support care to COVID-19 patients that places
2. Assigned in hospital, laboratory, medical or them at risk for contracting COVID-19, as
quarantine facility (HLMQ); determined by the health facility.

3. Directly providing critical and urgent treatment
and support care to COVID-19 patients (suspect,
probable, confirmed) that places them at risk for
contracting COVID-19, as determined by the
health facility.
The following activities performed may be
considered by the health facility in identifying such
personnel:
a. Providing direct care to COVID 19 patients;
b. Having face to face contact (within one meter)
with COVID 19 patients;
c. Being present while any form of aerosol
generating procedure (AGP) is performed on
COVID 19 /s (e.g. Nebulizer Treatment, etc.);
d. Having direct contact with the environment
where confirmed COVID 19 patients are being
cared for (e.g. bed, linens, waste bins, medical
equipment, bathroom, etc.);
e. Collecting and processing specimens or
samples for COVID 19 testing;
f. Involved in transport of COVID 19 patients
The following activities performed may be
considered by the health facility in identifying such
personnel:
a. Providing direct care to COVID-19 patients
(suspect, probable, confirmed)
b. Having face to face contact (within one meter)
with COVID 19 patients;
c. Being present while any form of aerosol
generating procedure (AGP) is performed on COVID
19 /s (e.g. Nebulizer Treatment, etc.);
d. Having direct contact with the environment where
confirmed COVID 19 patients are being cared for
(e.g. bed, linens, waste bins, medical equipment,
bathroom, etc.);
e. Collecting and processing specimens or samples
for COVID 19 testing;
f. Involved in transport of COVID 19 patients

Who are excluded from Those engaged without employer-employee HCWs not directly providing critical and urgent
the grant? relationship and funded from non-Personnel treatment and support care to COVID-19 patients.
Services appropriations/ budgets are excluded
 from the grant of the COVID-19 SRA, except
those who meet the eligibility requirements
above.

Falling into any of the following criteria are

deemed NON-ELIGIBLE for the grant:

1. Consultants and experts engaged for a limited

period to perform specific activities or services
with expected outputs;
2. Laborers engaged through job contracts
(pakyaw) and those paid on piecework basis;
3. Student workers and apprentices
4. Individuals and groups of individuals whose
services are engaged through COS or JO,
including BHWs, who are not assigned in
hospitals, laboratories, or medical and quarantine
facilities.

Are the benefits only for NO. Section 3 - Public and private HWs, as defined under Section 1 of AO No. 36, shall refer to medical,
medical and allied- allied-medical, and other personnel who directly provide treatment and support care to COVID19
medical personnel? patients.
Are Job Orders (Contract Yes, provided that they are assigned in hospital, Yes, provided that they are assigned in COVID
of Service) entitled? laboratory, medical or quarantine facility, and ward, laboratory, medical or quarantine facility, and
providing direct care to COVID-19 patients or providing direct care to COVID-19 patients or critical
critical and urgent services to respond to the and urgent services to respond to the public health
public health emergency, as determined by the emergency, as determined by the head facility.
head facility.
Are military personnel No. There is no mention of inclusion of military Not applicable.
entitled? personnel in Administrative Order No.36. Section
2 states that Civilian Employees regardless of
status, COS (Job Order) personnel engaged by
the government, and duly-accredited and
registered Barangay Health Workers (BHWs).
Are civilian personnel in Yes, provided that they are assigned in hospital, Not applicable.
military hospitals laboratory, medical or quarantine facility, and
entitled? providing direct care to COVID-19 patients or
providing critical and urgent services to respond
to the public health emergency, as determined by
the head of the facility.

Are Healthcare workers YES. City Health Office, Rural Health Units, Not applicable.
in the Rural Health Units, Urban Health Centers and Barangay Health
Urban Health Centers Stations are considered as medical facilities as
and Barangay Health mentioned in Section 4.2 of DBM DOH Joint DC
Stations eligible 2020-02. However, HCWS of the said facilities
still need to pass the eligibility requirements
indicated in DBM Budget Circular Nos. 1 and 2
dated April 7, 2020 and June 16, 2021.

Are HCWs in City Health NO. Provincial Health Offices does not fall into Not applicable.
Offices and Provincial any of the categories listed in Section 4.2 of DBM
Health Offices eligible DOH Joint DC 2020-02 which limits the grant of
SRA to those assigned in hospital, laboratory,
medical or quarantine facility.

Are personnel in the Yes. Radiologic Technologists who conducted X-ray to patients with COVID infection or probable
radiology COVID infected are entitled to the grant of SRA. Their main functions expose them to risk of acquiring
section/department of the infection. Provided that they are physically reporting to work during office hours.
the hospitals entitled to
SRA?
Are personnel in Yes. Provided that they are involved in the collection and processing of samples for COVID-19 testing.
Laboratories in hospitals
and stand alone
laboratories also entitled
to SRA?
Are physicians under Yes. Provided that they are directly catering to or caring for COVID-19 patients and has an existing
Residency Programs contract with the health facility.
eligible for the grant of
SRA?
Are Barangay Health
Workers entitled?
Are members of
BHERTS also eligible for
SRA?
What are the
requirements for the
security guards, janitors,
utility staff working in the
hospitals and medical
facilities to be entitled?
What are the
requirements for the
administrative staff of
Yes, provided that they satisfy all of the Not applicable.
following:
1. They are duly-registered BHWs.
2. They are assigned in hospitals, laboratories,
medical or quarantine facilities.
3. They are providing critical and urgent services
to respond to the COVID-19 public health
emergency.
4. They are included in the list certified by the
Local Health Board.
The Barangay Health emergency Response
Team (BHERTS) may be entitled to SRA
provided they have an existing engagement with
the LGU either under COS/JO or regular plantilla
and that they perform functions that support to
the management and treatment of COVID
patients under quarantine and/or treatment.
Moreover, they should be certified by the Local
Health Board as eligible for the grant of SRA
pursuant to DBM-DOH JC no.2, s 2020.
They can be entitled if they are engaged by the They can be entitled if they are assigned in the
government facility and providing critical and designated COVID-19 units as certified by the
urgent services to respond to the COVID-19 DOH, and providing direct patient care or critical and
public health emergency, as determined by the urgent services to respond to the public health
facility. emergency, as determined by the facility.
Other staff such as but not limited to the following They can be entitled if they are assigned in the
may be entitled to SRA as long as their designated COVID-19 units as certified by the
functions/assignment exposes them to risk of DOH, and providing direct patient care or critical and
hospitals and medical
facilities to be entitled?
Are those working from
home or in similar
arrangements entitled?
Are health workers
undergoing Quarantine
or in similar
arrangements entitled?
What will be the source
of funds of LGU for the
grant of benefits?
What will be the source
of funds of private
facilities for the grant of
benefits?
Are private health
workers entitled to the
benefits?
What is the role of DOLE
in the grant of SRA?
acquiring the infection as certified by the head of urgent services to respond to the public health
the facility: emergency, as determined by the facility.
a. Clerk assigned in the
Information/Admitting Section in the
Facility
b. Utility worker cleaning the COVID ward
area
c. Lab. Aide in the laboratory
d. Personnel working in the Triage
e. Personnel assigned in the Medical
Record of COVID patient
The work arrangement does not disqualify an eligible health worker, but the amount of benefits depends
on the days that the eligible health worker physically reports for work at his/her assigned work station
on the prescribed official working hours, as authorized by the head of agency/office, which places him/her
in direct contact with COVID-19 patients.
The amount of benefit depends on the days that the health worker physically reports for work. Hence,
days under which the health worker is under quarantine will be excluded from the count, as authorized
and certified by the head of the facility.
The DOH will download the funds to the CHDs Not applicable.
who will in turn download the funds to the LGUs
upon entering a Memorandum of Agreement.
Not applicable. The DOH will download the funds to the CHDs who
will in turn download the funds to the private facilities
upon entering a Memorandum of Agreement.
Not applicable. The private health workers are entitled to SRA,
provided they meet the eligibility requirements.
Not applicable. CHDs should include DOLE Regional Offices in the
dissemination forums and communications with
 private hospitals. Based on the guidelines, there are
no documentary requirements needed for evaluation
of DOLE.

Are personnel in CHDs No, as one of the eligibility requirements is that a Not applicable.
and Central Office health worker must be assigned in a hospital,
entitled to the benefits? laboratory, medical or quarantine facility.

How much is the benefit? P5,000.00 a month, pro-rated based on the number of days that the health worker physically reports for
work. This means that HCWs will not automatically get the full Php 5,000 per month.

It is computed as follows:

(Php 5000 / 22 days) x no. of days physically reporting for work

Less than 8 hours exposure to a COVID-19 positive patient would automatically be equal to 1 day

4.8 The COVID-19 SRA of personnel hired on part-time basis in one or more agencies shall be in direct
proportion to the services rendered, provided that the total COVID-19 SRA received from all sources
shall not exceed P5,000 per month.

How is the benefit 4.7 - One (1) day shall be equivalent to eight (8) working hours. Hence, for facilities adopting a 12-hour
computed when a or 24-hour shift as their prescribed official working hours for the duration of the state of national
health workers works emergency, the computation of the COVID-19 SRA shall be adjusted proportionately, subject further to
more than 8 hours? Item 4.6 on computation.