EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
S E N A T E
Senate Bill No.
G2
: -  (P tliiro l tl)f
*19 
JUL -1 
P5 3 8
Intro d u ce d  by S enator Juan M iguel F. Z ubirl
AN ACT
MANDATING THE APPOINTMENT OF BARANGAY HEALTH WORKERS IN 
EVERY BARANGAY, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7160 
OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE, FURTHER 
EXPANDING THE BENEFITS OF BARANGAY OFFICIALS AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
The barangay is the foundational unit o f Philippine governance; the first port 
o f call for every Filipino citizen. It must, as such, provide optim al basic services 
that will address the everyday concerns o f the people—from  concerns about peace 
and order, to concerns about sanitation and waste management, to concerns 
about medical and dental care.
Affordable and accessible health care is an especially glaring concern, 
particularly In far-flung areas that are yet to have easy access to hospitals. Even 
in urban areas, steep prices often bar underprivileged sectors from  seeking 
necessary medicai attention. There is a need, then, to better our barangay-level 
heaith care system, in order for our people to receive im m ediate medical attention 
through an accessible and affordable avenue.
Health services are a mandated function o f the barangay, as per Section 17 of 
Republic Act No. 7160, or the Local Governm ent Code o f 1991, which states tha t 
the barangay shall provide "health and social welfare services which include 
maintenance o f barangay health center and day-care center." But while RA 7160 
mandates that the barangay provide health services, it does not mandate the 
appointm ent o f full-tim e health workers to ably deliver said services.
This bill seeks to address that oversight by ensuring that every barangay will 
have a proportionate num ber o f accredited full-tim e health workers, thereby 
guaranteeing that the barangay fulfills its obligation to provide health services. 
These health workers shall be appointed by the municipal or city mayor, given that 
they are accredited by the local health board. These health workers will have 
security o f tenure.


W ith the designation o f barangay health workers, citizens in all corners o f the 
nation will be able to enjoy their right to accessible, affordable, and quality health 
care.
In view  o f the foregoing, approval of this bill is urgently sought.
N MIGUEL F. ZU B IR I


EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
S E N A T E
Senate Bill No.
.02
tf  of ill- i '. 'f 'C t .  i;>
'19 JUL-1 P5:38
REC:.i.... I.
Intro d u ce d  by Senator Juan M iguel F. Zubiri
AN ACT
MANDATING THE APPOINTMENT OF BARANGAY HEALTH WORKERS IN  
EVERY BARANGAY, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7160 
OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE, FURTHER 
EXPANDING THE BENEFITS OF BARANGAY OFFICIALS AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES
Be it  enacted b y  the Senate and House o f  Representatives o f  the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
1 
SECTION 1. S hort Title. -  This Act shall be known as the "Barangay Health
2 
Workers A c t o f 2 0 1 9 ."
3 
SEC. 2. D eclaration o f Policy. -  Pursuant to Section 11, Article X III of the 1987
4 
Philippine Constitution, the State hereby declares the policy o f according utm ost
5 
importance to the health needs o f the nation and shall henceforth endeavor to make
6 
essential goods, health and other social services available to all the people at affordable
7 
cost. Toward this end, the State shall ensure that accessible and quality health services
8 
are extended to each individual through the barangay health workers as the prim ary
9 
channel fo r im plem enting the State's health policies down to the barangay health needs,
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the State shall guarantee the appointm ent o f a heaith w orker in every barangay as
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frontline health workers.
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SEC. 3. Coverage. -  The provisions o f this Act shall be applicable to all barangay
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health workers accredited to act as such by the iocal health board in accordance with
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guidelines issued by the Departm ent o f Health (DOH). For the purposes o f this Act, the
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term  barangay health w orker shall refer to a person who has undergone training program
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under any accredited governm ent or non-governm ent organization prim arily to render
17 
health care services.
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1 
SEC. 4. Section 387 o f Republic Act No. 7160, otherwise known as the Local
2 
Governm ent Code o f 1991 as amended, shall be further amended to read as follows:
3 
"Section 387. Chief Officials and Officers. -  (a) There shall be in each barangay a
4 
Punong Barangay, seven (7) Sangguniang Barangay members, the Sangguniang
5 
Kabataan chairman, a barangay secretary, (and) a barangay treasurer, AND AT LEAST
6 
FIVE (5 ) BARANGAY HEALTH WORKERS: P R O V ID E D , THAT THE TOTAL
7 
NUMBER OF BARANGAY HEALTH WORKERS PER BARANGAY SHALL IN  NO
8 
CASE BE MORE THAN 1 %  OF THE BARANGAY'S TOTAL POPULATION."
9 
SEC. 5. A New provision shall be inserted between Sections 359 and 396 o f the
10 
same Act to be denominated as Section 395-A, which shall read as follows:
11 
"SECTION 395-A. APPOINTMENT AND QUALIFICATIONS OF BARANGAY
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HEALTH WORKERS - THE BARANGAY HEALTH WORKER AS ACCREDITED AND
13 
RECOMMENDED 
BY 
THE 
MUNICIPAL 
OR 
CITY 
HEALTH 
BOARD 
IN
14 
ACCORDANCE W ITH THE 
PROVISIONS OF 
REPUBLIC ACT 
NO. 
7883,
15 
OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE BARANGAY HEALTH WORKERS AND BENEFITS
16 
ACT OF 1996, SHALL BE APPOINTED BY THE MUNICIPAL OR CITY MAYOR OF
17 
THE AREA WHERE SUCH BARANGAY HEALTH WORKER W ILL BE APPOINTED IS
18 
LOCATED. 
A 
BARANGAY 
HEALTH 
WORKER 
SHALL 
BE 
ENTITLED 
TO
19 
HONORARIA, ALLOWANCES AND SUCH OTHER BENEFITS TO W HICH OTHER
20 
APPOINTED BARANGAY OFFICIALS MAY BE ENTITLED TO. NO PERSON DULY
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APPOINTED AS A BARANGAY HEALTH WORKER SHALL BE REMOVED EXCEPT
22 
FOR VALID CAUSE AS PROVIDED UNDER EXISTING C IV IL SERVICE RULES AND
23 
REGULATIONS AND ONLY AFTER DUE NOTICE AND HEARING."
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SEC. 6. Section 393, paragraphs (a) and (b) of the Local Governm ent Code of
25 
1991, as amended, is hereby further amended to read as follows:
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"Section 393. Benefits o f Barangay Officials. -
(a) Barangay officials, including barangay tanods and members o f the lupong 
tagapamayapa, 
shall 
receive 
honoraria, 
allowances, 
and 
such 
other 
em olum ents as may be authorized by law or barangay, municipal or city 
ordinance in accordance w ith the provisions o f this Code, but in no case shall 
it be less th a t One Thousand Pesos (P1,000.00) per m onth fo r the punong 
barangay and Six Hundred Pesos (P600.00) per m onth fo r the sangguniang 
barangay members, barangay treasurer, [a n d ] barangay secretary A N D


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BARANGAY HEALTH WORKERS: Provided, however, That the annual 
appropriations fo r personal services shall be subject to budgetary lim itations 
prescribed 
under 
Title 
Five, 
Book 
II 
o f 
this 
Code: 
P R O V ID E D
FURTHERMORE, THAT THE BENEFITS PROVIDED BY THIS CODE 
SHALL BE W ITHOUT PREJUDICE TO THE APPLICATION OF AND 
ENTITLEMENT 
TO 
OTHER 
INCENTIVES 
AND 
BENEFITS 
FOR 
BARANGAY OFFICIALS AS MAY BE PROVIDED BY LAW SUCH AS 
REPUBLIC ACT NO. 6942 AND REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7883, OTHERWISE 
KNOWN AS THE BARANGAY HEALTH WORKERS BENEFITS AND 
INCENTIVES ACT.
(b) The Punong Barangay, the Sangguniang Barangay members, the Barangay 
treasurer, [a n d ] the Barangay 
AND THE B A R A N G A Y  HEALTH
WORKER shall also: xxx
SEC. 7. Im p le m e n tin g  Rules and Regulations. -  The Departm ent o f Interior 
and Local Government, in coordination w ith the Civil Service Commission, shall w ithin 
ninety (90) days from  the enactm ent o f this Act, prom ulgate the rules and regulations 
necessary fo r the im plem entation o f this Act.
SEC. 8. S eparability Clause. - If, for any reason, any provision o f this Act is 
declared unconstitutional on invalid, other provisions hereof which are not affected 
thereby shall continue to be in full force and effect.
SEC. 9. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, executive orders, proclamations 
and adm inistrative regulations or parts thereof inconsistent herewith are here by repealed 
or m odified accordingly.
SEC. 10. E ffe ctivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect im m ediately after its 
publication in at least tw o national newspapers o f general circulation.
Approved,