“As a GOCC hospital, it shows that while our hospital is earning, it does not follow that we employees are assured of our benefits, higher salaries and security of tenure.”
By ANNE MARXZE D.UMIL
Bulatlat.com
MANILA – “Give us our CNA incentive!”
This was the demand of the rank-and-file employees of the Philippine Heart Center (PHC) in a protest on Friday, Feb. 28. They said the PHC management has withheld their P25,000 ($567) CNA incentive, although employees in other government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCC) hospitals have received their own.
Last week, employees led by the PHC union officers have been holding a picket rally in front of the hospital between 12 p.m. to 1 p.m., calling on the management to release their CNA incentive.
“We do not know why they are not giving us our incentive when this hospital has been earning millions,” said Bonifacio Carmona, president of the PHC employees association.
He added that in the past seven years, the rank-and-file employees of PHC did not receive their incentive bonus. It was only in 2014 when they received less than P5,000 ($113) for the year 2013, not even half of the agreed P25,000. Bonifacio said they are now demanding that the management release their CNA incentive at least for the year 2014.
The CNA incentive is a benefit received by government unions as a result of a negotiation for their union rights with the management.
Carmona said they have been requesting for a dialogue with the management to find out why their CNA incentive was being withheld. However, they did not get any response.
According to the Budget Circular 2014-2 or Guidelines on the grant of Collective Negotiation Agreement incentive for the year 2014, the fund sources shall be limited to the following maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) items: travelling expenses, communication expenses, repairs and maintenance, transportation and delivery expenses, supplies and materials and utility expenses.
In the PHC’s statement of account and expenses for the period of Jan. 1 to Nov. 30, 2014, the hospital’s net income, including government subsidy for MOOE, is P87 million ($1.9 million). This is also much higher than PHC’s net income for 2013 which was P51 million ($1.1 million).
Carmona also said the PHC has opened a hospital extension where some 25 suite rooms are located.
A PHC employee for 15 years said the hospital earns not only from hospital admissions, procedures and operations but also from rentals paid by the occupants of the PHC-owned area around the hospital, such as fast food chains, restaurants and 24 hour convenience stores.
Carmona said contractual employees of PHC who have been in service for more than five years have also not received their milestone bonus of P5,000 each. Contractual employees should be receiving the said bonus every five years, said Carmona. The union, however, got reports that some permanent employees were the ones who received the milestone bonus.
“As a GOCC hospital, it shows that while our hospital is earning income, it does not follow that we employees are assured of our benefits, higher salaries and security of tenure. With escalating prices of goods and services like MRT/ LRT fare, our wages fall short of meeting the daily expenses of our family,” said Carmona.
Brenda, a PHC employee for 15 years and a mother of three, told Bulatlat.com that her salary, along with her husband, can hardly cope with the rising costs of basic goods and utilities: “The CNA incentive, which is our legal right, will be a really great help to augment for our expenses,” she said.
Carmona called on his co-workers to stay strong as they will continue to fight for their rights. 
