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A House bill seeks to raise the meager pay received by barangay officials by having them reclassified as regular government employees entitled to fixed salaries and benefits like other civil servants.
Authored by six lawmakers, House Bill No. 502, or the Barangay Officials Salaries and Insurance Act, recognizes the role played by the barangay, the smallest local government unit, as the “office of first resort of the people.”
“It is high time that our barangay officials be given what is due them and recognize their vital role in carrying out government’s services to the communities,” the bill’s explanatory note read.
The measure was filed by Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte, Benguet Rep. Eric Yap, ACT-CIS Representatives Edvic Yap, Jeffrey Soriano and Jocelyn Tulfo, and Quezon City Rep. Ralph Tulfo.
Its proposed compensation scheme will cover both elected and appointed officials, mainly barangay chairs, members of the Sangguniang Barangay, barangay secretaries and treasurers.
By having them declared as regular government employees, they may receive not only fixed salaries but also health insurance and other benefits.
Honorarium
Under the Local Government Code of 1991, barangay officials are compensated in the form of honoraria, with the minimum set at P1,000 per month for the chair and P600 per month for Sanggunian barangay members.
In 1996, Executive Order No. 332 included the barangay in the unified position classification and compensation system of the government. This allowed the adjustment of the honorarium to a maximum rate equivalent to the first step of Salary Grade 14 (P32,321) for chair and Salary Grade 10 (P22,190) for Sanggunian members.
If funds are available
However, the implementation of the authorized increase is subject to the availability of barangay funds.
Aside from honoraria, barangay officials are also entitled to other benefits, such as a Christmas bonus in the form of cash gift at the rate authorized by law; insurance coverage; medical care consisting of free hospitalization in government hospitals; and tuition coverage that can be extended to two of their legitimate dependent children during their term of office.
Under the scheme suggested in the House bill, a barangay chair will receive an amount equivalent to 80 percent of the salary of a board member of the city or municipality where the barangay is located.
Sangguniang Barangay members will be paid an amount equivalent to 65 percent of the salary of a board member of the city or municipality covering the barangay.
The barangay secretary and treasurer will get 50 percent of the salary of a board member of the city or municipality.
The bill also provides insurance coverage under the Government Service Insurance System, Pag-Ibig Fund and Philippine Health Insurance Corp. for the barangay officials. —Julie Aurelio and Inquirer Research
Source: dbm.gov.ph