Families and beneficiaries of eight public health workers who died giving care to COVID-19 patients but contracted the disease themselves would receive a total of P12.9 million in life insurance payout from the state-run pension fund Government Service Insurance System (GSIS).
“Our insurance officers are already coordinating with the bereaved families,” said GSIS president and general manager Rolando L. Macasaet in a statement.
“Once the papers are duly processed, we will release the amounts without delay,” he said.
An additional P500,000 would be paid out under the Bayanihan Fund for Frontliners “in recognition of their heroism and selfless dedication to public service,” Macasaet said.
Without disclosing the names of the deceased to keep their privacy, Macasaet said that five of them had worked in public hospitals including National Children’s Hospital, Philippine General Hospital (PGH), Philippine Heart Center and the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu.
Three others served at local health facilities in Manila, Paranaque City and Pampanga province.
“Each family will receive from the GSIS a lump-sum payment equivalent to 150 percent of the annual salary of the deceased, plus P500,000,” Macasaet said.
“This is over and above the P1 million which President Duterte promised to give our front-liners under the Bayanihan to Heal as One Law,” he added.
“It is devastating to lose a loved one but we do hope that this will help assuage the grief felt by the families of those left behind by these heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country,” he said.
The GSIS board, chaired by former Supreme Court Chief Justice Lucas P. Bersamin, on April 14 approved a resolution to establish the Bayanihan Fund for Frontliners.
The fund is for 27,682 government health workers nationwide in case of death due to COVID-19 between March 1 and Dec. 31.
Macasaet earlier said that other workers involved in COVID-19 response like technologists, technicians, nursing aides, pharmacists, ambulance drivers, janitors and security guards are also covered by the fund.