By Jel Santos  The local government unit (LGU) of Makati city has allocated over P124 million as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) hazard pay and special risk allowance for all qualified City Hall frontliners who have been reporting for duty during since the start of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), Mayor Abigail “Abby” Binay announced on April 17, Friday. Makati city council on April 15 passed City Ordinance No. 2020-092 authorizing the allocation of P124,453,000 to fund the said compensation based on the provisions of City Ordinance No. 2018-013, which grants occupational duty risk pay to eligible city government personnel rendering hazardous or perilous work relating to disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM). “In this time of crisis and confusion, I am very proud that we have frontliners who have stepped up to the challenge. Apart from our healthcare professionals and allied workers, our DRRM office team, supported by the essential work force of various offices, have worked day and night to ensure that basic services and distribution of food packs and financial assistance continue unhampered,” she said in a statement. Binay said that it is only right to extend hazard pay and risk allowance to frontliners “because they also risk their lives every day to serve our Makatizens amid the pandemic.” According to the LGU, the payment of occupational duty risk pay will be based on the actual services rendered by the employee. In addition, it said that the benefit extends to regular, casual, and contractual personnel of the city government who are exposed to great danger. “Occupational risk, perils of life, and physical hardship are also considered in granting occupational duty risk pay.” Under City Ordinance No. 2018-013, those not covered by the additional risk allowance are job-order employees and personnel already receiving hazard pay. These include employees of Ospital ng Makati, Makati Health Department, Makati Social Welfare Department, Bureau of Fire Protection-Makati, Philippine National Police-Makati, and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology-Makati. Earlier, the mayor has taken initiatives to promote frontliners' health, security, and welfare, as well as that of their families. It can be recalled that Binay said mass testing for COVID-19 in the city will prioritize asymptomatic frontliners, together with mild PUM (persons under monitoring) and PUI (persons under investigation) cases. Moreover, Makati city has provided housing and transportation for the city's frontliners, to ease their burden of commuting to and from work. The city council has recently passed an ordinance protecting frontliners against discrimination and the stigma that comes with being at higher risk of contracting COVID-19.