HRH program is the thrust of the government to deploy, redistribute, and retain health workers in the country to enhance access to quality health services. Priority areas are far-flung, geographically-isolated, disadvantaged, and remote communities with inadequate health personnel.
President Rodrigo Duterte recently signed the P4.506 trillion national budget for 2021 which included the P16.58 billion intended for the HRH deployment. The
program is related to the of Universal Health Care (UHC) law which the government intends to fuly implement.
The 2021 budget for HRH is 66% increase when compared 2020 allocation but actually it's slightly lower considering the additional funding the program got from other sources this year.
The appropriation for the current HRH Deployment is P9.95 billion (P7.5B from Personnel Services, P2.45 MOOE) and additional PhP 9.33B PS from Miscellaneous Personnel Benefit Fund (MPBF) for a total of P19.28 billion.
With that budget for next year, DOH will hire 744 Doctors, 16,675 Nurses, 4,538 Midwives, 222 Dentists, 303 Pharmacists, 200 Nutritionist Dietitians, 601 Medical Technologists, and 81 Physical Therapists.
The existing HRH workers will only be rehired for next year. "Over 90% have already been hired now. But siyempre po merong nagre-resign, papalitan. So this is just a continuing budget for that staffing requirement," said Sen. Pia Cayetano, DOH budget sponsor in a Senate hearing.
Salaries of DOH HRH workers for 2021
How much will HRH cadres receive as monthly salary next year? In an advisory of one of DOH regional offices, here's the Salary Grade of each HRH workers:
- Nurse I - Salary Grade 15
- Dentist II - Salary Grade 17
- Medical Technologist II -Salary Grade 15
- Pharmacist II - Salary Grade 15
- Nutritionist-Dietitian II -Salary Grade 15
- Physical Therapist II - Salary Grade 15
- Midwife II - Salary Grade 11
Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said that it “considers the huge additional hiring of health workers under the Human Resource for Health Program of the Department of Health (DOH) and the second tranche implementation of the Salary Standardization Law of 2019” as the reason for budget allocation.
So we expect that the 2nd Tranche of SSL V effective January 2021 will be applied to HRH workers. Thus, SG 17 is P39,986; SG 15 is P33,575, SG 11 is at 23,877 monthly.
Why not regularize DOH HRH workers
The employment status of HRH cadres will be temporary under Personnel Services but it is renewable every year. Why not regularize the HRH positions?"Since this is going to be recurring, why not make their employment and deployment permanent," Senator Tito Sotto asked. "So that we will have enough health workers in all our health systems?"
Cayetano pointed to the devolve health care system as the reason why the DOH cannot make the HRH positions permanent.
"Officially, it is the LGUs who are responsible for hiring these primary care health workers. However, it is also the job of the national government to augment when needed. Obviously they have seen the need, that is why they have these positions that are being filled," said Cayetano.
Currently, DOH HRH hiring is done by regional offices and some have started the recruitment as early as November. So if you are interested to apply as DOH HRH workers this 2021, please contact and inquire about it in your DOH Regional Offices and Provincial Health Offices nationwide.
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