Angeles City—The city government has approved the P12,000 salary raise for 111 nurses assigned at the Rafael Lazatin Memorial Medical Center, which will take effect next year.
Included in pay hike and position upgrade are 19 permanent, 4 casual, and 88 nurses with Contract of Service (COS) status.
Mayor Carmelo Lazatin Jr. said all 19 permanent and 4 casual RLMMC nurses with a present Salary Grade (SG) 1, equivalent to a P22,316 monthly salary, will be upgraded to SG 15, with a monthly basic salary of P33,575.
Meanwhile, all 88 COS nurses with SG 10 of P20,000 basic monthly salary will be upgraded to SG 15, amounting to P32,000.
“Ang nasabing hakbang [na ito] ay bilang pagkilala sa binibigay na serbisyo at sakripisyo ng ating mga city health nurses, lalo na ngayong panahon ng pandemya,” Lazatin said. Jess Malabanan
City Budget Officer Corazon Ayson added that the city government has appropriated a total of P43,058,700 for the salary increase of the 111 nurses — P9,266,700 for the 19 permanent and 4 casual RLMMC nurses, and P33,792,000 for 88 COS RLMMC nurses.
“Nais ni Mayor Lazatin na maayos na agad ang proseso para sa inisyatibong ito, sa lalong madaling panahon, nang sa gayon ay maibigay agad ang salary increase next year,” Ayson shared.
She explained that although there are 30 permanent nurses employed at RLMMC, only 19 of them needed to have their salaries adjusted since the 11 nurses are already receiving their accorded salaries.
This is in line with the national government’s pay adjustment, following the Department of Budget and Management’s Budget Circular 2020-4, pursuant to Section 32 of Republic Act No. 9173, or the Philippine Nursing Act of 2002.
Mayor Lazatin’s Chief Adviser and Tactician Director IC Calaguas shared that the city government is pushing for the salary increase in recognition of the crucial role they play in the ongoing battle against COVID-19.
“Sa ganitong paraan, masuklian man lang natin yung kapaguran nila sa pag-aalaga sa mga Angelenos, sa kabila ng panganib na dala ng virus na ito,” Calaguas said.
Calaguas also shared that the RLMMC headed by Dr. Froilan Canlas is diligently observing safety and health protocols, particularly the regular swabbing every two weeks of the 42 health workers assigned at the COVID-19 wards.
In August this year, the city government allocated P10M for the immediate release of the Special Risk Allowance (SRA) for city health workers handling COVID-19 patients.
The health workers received their SRA last October, amounting to 50% of their monthly salary. They are also afforded free lodging, which allows them to isolate themselves.
