Filipino health workers protest neglect as Delta variant surges

Former Duterte adviser on COVID-19 response warns the Philippines may soon become the epicentre of the pandemic in Southeast Asia.

Scores of healthcare workers have protested in the Philippine capital to demand an end to what they called government neglect and unpaid benefits, as Delta variant cases continue to surge, putting more pressure on hospitals fighting one of Asia’s longest-running coronavirus epidemics. Protesters wearing protective medical gear gathered on Wednesday at the Department of Health (DOH) and held placards demanding their risk allowances, hazard pay and the resignation of Health Secretary Francisco Duque. The Philippines passed the two million mark in coronavirus cases on Wednesday, almost a quarter of those recorded in August alone.