WITH the current pandemic that is becoming more clear and less vague compared to the previous year, protocols and vaccination rollouts became the new norm of instruction especially that the country is continuously procuring vaccine doses from different countries making the goal of for immunity more possible. However, more vaccines doesn’t mean less viruses. Issues of healthcare workers being underpaid, overworked and taken advantage of took off in different platforms such as in social media, rallies and through the news. The hazard pay being misused despite enough budget and healthcare worker continuously being exposed to COVID has caused a massive flak, demanding more accountability especially that doctors and nurses are struggling to keep up with full blown ICU beds and patients to tend. 

Social Media played a big part in demanding concerns and seeking answers, especially with platforms such as Facebook and Twitter that has been the main source of information this pandemic. With the lack of prioritization towards the healthcare workers, the pandemic is far from over. Things such as allowance, food, transportation and especially salary and hazard pay shouldn’t be problem especially that being exposed to COVID everyday, working overtime and little to no time for breaks just to tend to patients are the health care worker’s everyday life. Tarpaulines with congratulatory messages from politicians, graphic arts posted online and long appreciation posts in social media platforms aren’t enough to repay the efforts and sacrifices of the frontliners. It’s fairly simple, like an office worker asking to be compensated fairly every payday, doctors and nurses must be compensated fairly as well especially that they’re the ones that are mostly at risk. Financial funds aren’t an issue when comparing proper salary towards healthcare workers versus the 389M Pesos worth of the dolomite beach in Manila Bay that does nothing other than rehabilitating it every after rain or typhoon which adds more expenses that aren’t a priority. Proper budgeting, prioritization and accountability are things that should be first in this pandemic that seems lacking despite the call for attention.