House Bill Proposes Hazard Pay for All Local Government Unit Employees at Risk

Pampanga First District Representative Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin, Jr. has introduced House Bill No. 4357, aiming to extend hazard pay to all local government unit (LGU) employees engaged in work involving inherent health and safety risks. The proposed legislation, dubbed the "Local Government Employees’ Hazard Pay Act," mandates a monthly hazard pay of no less than 25 percent of the employees’ basic salary, disbursed alongside their regular wages.

Representative Lazatin emphasized the need for this provision, citing the exposure government workers, such as public cemetery staff, traffic enforcers, and street sweepers, faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. "Many government employees were exposed to the dangers of infection while performing their duties, yet not all received hazard pay as they fall outside the coverage of the Magna Carta for Public Health Workers," he explained.

The bill outlines eligibility for hazard pay to all LGU employees whose jobs involve imminent danger, heightened difficulty, or increased health risks beyond typical public service conditions. It specifically includes risks related to physical hazards (such as operating dangerous machinery, exposure to vehicular traffic, unstable structures, or working at heights); chemical hazards (handling toxic, corrosive, or flammable materials); biological hazards (exposure to infectious agents, human or animal waste, or contaminated environments); environmental hazards (extreme weather, pollution, or unsanitary outdoor conditions); and any situation threatening life or personal safety.

Furthermore, the bill ensures coverage regardless of employment status, encompassing permanent, temporary, casual, contractual, contract of service, or job order workers.

Reflecting on his experience as mayor during the pandemic, Lazatin recalled issuing Memorandum Nos. 598 and 602 in 2020, which authorized hazard pay for frontline employees in various city departments, including Disaster Risk Reduction and Management, the Command Center, Social Welfare and Development, the Public Market, and the Public Cemetery. He asserted that this bill seeks to institutionalize equitable hazard pay for all government employees exposed to workplace risks, ensuring fair compensation for their service.

"This measure aims to create an equitable system for distributing hazard pay to government workers tasked with duty under hazardous conditions," Lazatin added.