BAGUIO City Mayor Mauricio Domogan directed the City General Services Office and the City Human Resource Management Officer to grant hazard pay to the local government’s current garbage collectors and street sweepers in recognition of their invaluable service and commitment to ensuring the cleanliness around the city year-round.

The local chief executive claimed it is unfortunate that health officials denied his request to allow the grant of hazard pay to city garbage collectors and street sweepers as they face blatant health risks in the performance of their duties and responsibilities collecting huge volumes of garbage generated by the households and the litters around the city’s major tourist destinations and the central business district.

“There is no doubt our garbage collectors and street sweepers are performing duties and responsibilities that are hazardous to their health and they deserve to be granted said hazard pay allowed under existing rules and regulations,” Domogan stressed.

He claimed that once the formula in the grant of the hazard pay to the garbage collectors and street sweepers is available, he will make a request to the local legislative body to craft an ordinance authorizing the grant of the hazard pay to these local government workers of which will be chargeable under the existing appropriations of the local government.

Earlier, Domogan requested health officials to authorize the grant of hazard pay to the city’s garbage collectors and street sweepers in recognition of the health risk involved in the performance of their assigned duties and responsibilities using the Magna Carta for health workers.

However, the local government received a negative response from health authorities claiming the Magna Carta for health workers will only apply to health workers.

The mayor pointed out that if there are government workers who should be entitled to be granted the hazard pay, it will be the garbage collectors and street sweepers who are exposed to health risk daily while going around the city doing their job.

Domogan added the grant of the hazard pay to the selected employees of the local government will not have a serious negative impact on the funds of the city so it is important for the concerned offices tasked to prepare the required formula for this additional incentive to be ready the soonest possible time to support the required local legislative measure for implementation.

Hazard pay is granted to employees of the government who are exposed to health risks in the performance of their assigned duties and responsibilities aggravated by their being exposed to the elements that could have a serious effect to their health, considering their having to acquire life-threatening illnesses that could affect their productivity in their work. (PR)