AN OFFICIAL in the highly-urbanized city of Angeles is pushing for a salary adjustment for the workers of Rafael Lazatin Memorial Medical Center or Ospital Ning Angeles (ONA).

Citing the city's more than P2 billion annual budget, Councilor Jesus "Jay" Sangil is proposing an increase in the salaries of nurses, midwives, medical aides, and medical volunteers.

"This is the right time to ask for a salary increase for the public hospital’s personnel,” said Sangil, minority floor leader.

During a recent budget hearing, Sangil stressed that the salaries of medical personnel in nearby public and district hospitals in Pampanga and Central Luzon are higher than those of the ONA workers.

He added that in other component cities and municipalities, hospital employees each receive 19,000 to 20,000 salary per month.

"Better late than never. Given the huge budget, it is but proper to give right and reasonable compensation to our city’s lowly workers," Sangil said.

In his resolution proposing a salary adjustment for medical personnel in the city, Sangil noted that “ONA has a budget of P63 million plus and the nurses only receive P14,000; midwives, P9,000; and nursing attendants, P8,000."

Sangil also reiterated his proposal to give additional allowances to daycare teachers, barangay health workers, barangay nutritionists, and barangay service point officers.