Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

3159

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by: Representatives Shernee A. Tan-Tambut and Samier A. Tan

EXPLANATORY NOTE

A few decades ago, the Philippines started to experience “brain-drain”
due to the migration of Filipino health workers to look for greener pasture
abroad. The mass exodus of doctors and nurses led to the training of Barangay
Health Workers (BHW) to fill the vacuum left by doctors and nurses.

The BHWs perform crucial functions in the delivery of frontline health
services to the people, particularly in far-flung barangays. BHW in every
barangay plays a crucial rule as a leader, for he or she organizes his community
towards health; as a teacher, for he or she shares his knowledge as well as
ideas he or she learned about health with great emphasis to disease prevention;
and as a service provider, for his or her responsibility is to attend to the
immediate primary needs of the community.

In recognition of the vital role played by BHWs, Congress in 1995,
granted incentives and benefits, like Hazard Allowance, Subsistence Allowance
and other non-monetary benefits, to them by virtue of Republic Act No. 7883.
However, this law does not provide a fixed honorarium to these BHW that they
only rely on whatever amount representing their hazard and subsistence
allowances given by the local government unit where they are stationed.

It is therefore the paramount objective of this bill to grant a fixed
honorarium in the amount of not less than two thousand pesos (P2,000.00) per
month to BHW in addition to their hazard and subsistence allowances and
other non-monetary benefits.

In view of the foregoing reasons, the approval of this bill is earnestly

sought.
quar (7

SHERNEE. UT SAMIER A. TAN
Represéntative Representative
Kusug Tausug Partylist First District, Sulu



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. poles

Introduced by: Representatives Shernee A. Tan-Tambut and Samier A. Tan

AN ACT
GRANTING BARANGAY HEALTH WORKERS (BHWs) A MONTHLY
HONORARIUM, IN ADDITION TO INCENTIVES AND BENEFITS,
AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE SECTION 6 OF REPUBLIC ACT NO.
7883 OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE BARANGAY HEALTH WORKERS
BENEFITS AND INCENTIVES ACT OF 1995

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives
of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Section 6 of Republic Act No. 7883 otherwise known
as the “Barangay Health Workers Benefits and Incentives Act of
1995” is hereby amended to read as follows:

“Sec. 6. Incentives and Benefits. — In recognition of
their services, all accredited health workers who are actively
and regularly performing their duties shall, IN ADDITION TO
A MONTHLY HONORARIUM OF NOT LESS THAN TWO
THOUSAND PESOS (P2,000.00), be entitled to the following
incentives and benefits:

XXX XXX XXX

SEC. 2. The amount necessary to implement this Act shall be
charged against the annual appropriations of the Department of Social
Welfare and Development (DSWD).

SEC. 3. All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules and regulations
which are inconsistent with this Act are hereby amended, repealed or
modified accordingly.

SEC. 4. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in the Official Gazette or in a national newspaper of general
circulation.

Approved,