FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
) 
) 
) 
SENATE 
S.B. No. 1340 
Introduced by Senator Loren Legarda 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Article XIII, Section 11 of the Constitution provides that the State should 
adopt an integrated and comprehensive approach to health development which 
shall endeavor to make essential goods, health and other social services available to 
all people at an affordable cost. There shall be priority for the needs of the 
underprivileged, sick, elderly, disabled, women, and children. 
Republic Act 7883, also known as the" Barangay Health Workers and Benefits & 
Incentives Acts of 1995," provides incentives and benefits which include hazard 
allowance, subsistence allowance, civil service eligibility, free legal services and 
preferential loan facility to accredited barangay health workers. This bill seeks to 
further provide an adequate health insurance program to the barangay health 
workers, the true unsung heroes who devote their lives to serve the Filipino people. 
While the Philippines is the leading exporter of nurses and care-givers, and 
the second major exporter of physicians, it is a sad irony that they migrate because 
of low salaries, problems of unemployment, unjust working conditions and denied 
benefits. 
According to the Department of Health, there are 199,546 active barangay 
health workers (BHW) all over the country. They have the most number among all 
health workers in the country. 
) 
The poor Filipinos in barangays deserve to be administered affordable and 
accessible healthcare by their highly-skilled compatriots. Barangay Health Workers, 
vulnerable because they are in the frontline in the State's battle for ensuring the 
health of its citizens, deserve to be armored with an adequate health insurance 
program. 
In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 


FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
) 
) 
) 
SENATE 
S.B. No. 1340 
Introduced by Senator Loren Legarda 
AN ACT 
GRANTING 
COMPULSORY 
COVERAGE 
TO 
ACCREDITED 
BARANGAY HEALTH WORKERS IN THE NATIONAL HEALTH 
INSURANCE PROGRAM, AMENDING FOR THIS PURPOSE REPUBLIC 
ACT NO. 7883, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representative of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
1 
SECTION 1. Section 6 of Republic Act No. 7883, otherwise known as the 
2 
"Barangay Health Workers' Benefits and Incentives Act of 1995", is hereby amended 
3 
by adding a new subsection which shall read.as follows: 
4 
5 
"SEC. 6. Incentives and Benefits. -
6 
xxx 
7 
(g) PHILHEALTH COMPULSORY COVERAGE. - ALL BARANGAY 
8 
HEALTH WORKERS AND THEIR DEPENDENTS SHALL BE 
9 
ENROLLED 
IN 
THE 
NATIONAL 
HEALTH 
INSURANCE 
10 
PROGRAM FOR THEM TO RECEIVE AND AVAIL OF AN 
11 
ADEQUATE PACKAGE OF PERSONAL HEALTH SERVICES 
12 
THAT MUST INCLUDE IN-PATIENT HOSPITAL CARE, OUT-
13 
PATIENT CARE, EMERGENCY AND TRANSFER SERVICES, AND 
14 
ALSO OTHER SUPPLEMENTARY HEALTH BENEFITS AS MAY 
15 
BE DEFINED BY THE PHILIPPINE HEALTH INSURANCE 
16 
CORPORATION (PHIC) AND THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNIT 
17 
(LGU) WHERE THEY RENDER SERVICES. 
18 
19 
THE NEEDED PREMIUM CONTRIBUTIONS AND, THEREAFTER, 
20 
THE STANDARD MONTHLY CONTRIBUTIONS, SHALL BE 
21 
BORNE BY THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT; SUCH THAT, 
1 


1 
2 
3 
UPON THE PASSAGE OF THIS ACT, THE BARANGAY HEALTH 
WORKERS 
AND 
THEIR 
DEPENDENTS 
SHALL 
BE 
AUTOMATICALLY ENTITLED TO THE FULL ENJOYMENT AND 
4 
A V AILMENT 
OF 
ESSENTIAL 
HEALTH 
SERVICES 
AS 
5 
CONTAINED IN REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7875 OR THE NATIONAL 
6 
HEALTH INSURANCE ACT. 
7 
8 
THE 
BARANGAY 
HEALTH 
WORKERS 
SHALL 
NOT 
BE 
9 
REQUIRED TO PAY MONTHLY CONTRIBUTIONS AND ALL 
10 
OTHER FEES OR CHARGES FOR THEM TO BE ENTITLED TO 
11 
THE PROGRAM'S BENEFITS." 
12 
13 
SEC. 2. Oversight Provision. - Congress shall conduct a regular review of this 
14 
program, which shall primarily evaluate its implementation with regard to its 
15 
impact and accomplishments. Such review shall be jointly undertaken by the 
16 
committees in the Senate and the House of Representatives, which have legislative 
17 
jurisdiction over this program. 
18 
19 
SEC. 3. Government Guarantee. - The government of the Republic of the 
20 
Philippines guarantees the financial viability of this program. 
21 
22 
SEC. 4. Rules and Regulations. -
The Philippine Health Insurance 
23 
Corporation, in consultation and coordination with the Department of the Interior 
, 
24 
and Local Government and the leagues of governors, vice governors and mayors of 
25 
the Philippines, shall formulate within one hundred (100) days the rules and 
26 
regulations necessary to implement this Act. 
27 
28 
SEC. 5. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is declared invalid, 
29 
the remainder or any of the provisions hereof not affected thereby shall remain in 
30 
force and effect. 
31 
32 
SEC. 6. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, executive orders, presidential 
33 
issuances and other administrative rules and regulations or parts thereof which are 
34 
inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly. 
35 
2 


1 
SEC. 7. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
2 
publication in at least two (2) national newspapers of general circulation. 
3 
4 
Approved, 
3