Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 15) –The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) is looking into the salary that will be set for workers in each barangay, following a bill seeking to grant them benefits, subsidies and compensation.
If passed into law, Senate Bill 1696 or the “Magna Carta for Barangay Officials, Personnel and Volunteer Workers” will mandate the Department of Budget and Management to develop a “standardized position classification and compensation scheme” for barangay officials, personnel and volunteer workers.
These employees include barangay health workers, members of Lupon Tagapamayapa (Peace Commitee) and barangay tanods.
“It (salary) should also be computed doon sa sinasabing nakatakda kung magkano yung income ng barangay, kung ilan percent. So, in this regard, I have already tasked our local government academy, our technical people to study this,” Interior Secretary Benhur Ablaos told reporters on Friday.
[Translation: The salary should be computed in what it is said to be the income of the barangay, on what the percent is. So, in this regard, I have already tasked our local government academy, our technical people to study this.]
Aside from a standardized salary, the bill states that barangay workers will also be granted benefits, including those from the Government Service Insurance System and Philhealth.
Abalos added that he is also eyeing the continuity of service of barangay workers even if a new barangay official has taken office.
“There should be key positions na sa tingin ko — at pinapa-validate ko sa technical people at sa academe — na dapat gawing permanent,” Abalos said. “I think pwede natin ibalanse yun.”
[Translation: There should be key positions that I think — and I am having that validated by the technical people and the academe — that should be permanent. I think it can be balanced.”]
In February, Sen. Win Gatchalian also filed Senate Bill 1840 seeking to provide barangay health workers benefits and incentives, which include monthly honoraria, transportation allowance, one-time gratuity cash incentive and insurance coverage.
