MANILA, Philippines 鈥擲enate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto on Wednesday assured that over 10,000 health workers of the Human Resource for Health Deployment Program (HRHDP) of the Department of Health (DOH) will continue to have their jobs in 2020 amid projected budget cuts in the health agency.
鈥淚n all, about 10,921 health personnel under the DOH-HRHDP will keep their jobs. It would have been a plague 鈥� like 40 percent casualty rate, had the Senate not intervened,鈥� Recto said in a statement.
Recto quoted the assurance also made by Senator Christopher 鈥淏ong鈥� Go, sponsor of the DOH budget, that none of the health workers of the program will lose their jobs after the Senate recommended an amendment to the agency鈥檚 budget for next year.
He said the end of the contracts of 7,107 nurses, 597 medical technologists, and 202 dentists has been averted.
鈥淯nder the original DOH budget, not one of them will be rehired next year,鈥� he added. 鈥淲ith funding secured, no one will be excused from the program.鈥�
Recto said the Senate was united in ensuring that health workers in the DOH program can keep their jobs.
Recto then thanked Senator Sonny Angara for including in the Senate committee report on the 2020 national budget Recto鈥檚 amendment to infuse P7 billion to the DOH program so that there would be 鈥渮ero casualty鈥� on the personnel.
鈥淎t hindi lang ako ang may ganoong paninindigan at panukala (It is not just me who has that stand). On both sides of the aisle, our commandment to the DOH is 鈥楾hou shall not fire,鈥欌�� he said.