Isabela lawmaker pushes for regular salaries, benefits for barangay officials

Rep. Giorgidi Aggabao INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines– Despite being in the frontline of government service delivery, barangay officials have not been able to enjoy the benefit of having a regular salary and statutory benefits, unlike their counterparts in other government offices.

This has compelled Isabela 4th district representative Giorgidi B. Aggabao to file a bill in the House of Representatives which will classify barangay (village) officials into government workers so they can be given fixed salaries and benefits extended to government employees.

Aggabao filed House Bill 4652, which seeks to declare the Punong Barangay (village chief), Sangguniang Barangay (village council) members, the Barangay Secretary and the Barangay Treasurer in all 42,000 barangays in the country as regular government employees.

Under the said bill, the village chief shall receive a salary at the amount of 80 percent of the salary of a city councilor while the members of the village council shall receive a salary at the amount of 70 percent of the salary of a city councilor. The Barangay Treasurer and Barangay Secretary shall also be given a salary equating to the 60 percent of the amount of the salary of a city council member.

The bill also seeks to give barangay officials government insurance and health insurance coverage, such as, but not limited to, coverage under the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), PhilHealth, and Pag-IBIG Fund.

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