Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. 1978 
Introduced by REPRESENTATIVE RICARDO S. CRUZ, JR. 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
A better primary health care in our country would require the role of Barangay 
Health Workers (BHWs) in the health sector. The pandemic highlighted the significance 
of the BHWs, who were notably at the forefront of response against the novel 
Coronavirus (COVID-19). BHWs served as the communication line between the health 
centers and constituents through door-to-door delivery of medicines, assistance in the 
vaccination drives, participation in contact tracing efforts, among others. Their 
invaluable service and contribution in strengthening primary health care leads to a 
lesser on curative health spending for the government. 
The Philippine Constitution mandates the State to protect and promote the right 
to health of the people, as well as instill health consciousness among them. In doing so, 
the State shall then formulate an integrated and comprehensive approach to health 
development which shall endeavor to make essential goods (e.g., health and other 
social services) available for everyone at an affordable cost. The needs of the 
underprivileged, sick, elderly, disabled, women, and children shall be its priority. 
The pandemic emphasized the need for a strong and robust primary healthcare 
system in our country. Our health care system was challenged by catering to a large 
number of patients outside their capacity. As a consequence, our healthcare workers 
were overworked and exhausted. The lack of adequate healthcare workers, facilities and 
equipment, especially in remote areas, showed the areas that the country needs to 
improve. 
Pursuant to the Local Government Code of 1991, the Local Government Units 
(LGUs) are given the fundamental duty to continue to strengthen the capacity of our 
Primary Healthcare System, which must necessarily begin by looking at the people who 
carry it out. 
As front liners of our Primary Healthcare System, our Barangay Health workers 
(BHWs) must be given sufficient incentives, benefits and most of all just compensation 
for their services rendered and for all the hard work that they have done. The goal of 
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improving the Primary Healthcare System necessarily carries with it the responsibility of 
taking care and supporting those in charge of implementing the same. 
The Supreme Court’s decision in the case of Mandanas vs. Ochoa1 clarified that 
the share of Local Government Units (LGU) of the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) does 
not exclude other national taxes like customs duties.2 With the implementation of the 
Mandanas-Garcia ruling in 2022, it is projected that LGUs, individually and collectively, 
will have a 27.61% increase in their shares of the IRA. Taking this into consideration, it 
has now been apparent that there is an additional source of funds for the salaries and 
benefits of BHWs. Having this said, the LGUs, as a matter of policy, should seek to hire 
BHWs as casual workers, or on a contractual and job order basis. Eventually, BHWs 
should be regarded as regular employees once the Mandanas-Garcia ruling is fully 
implemented. 
The City of Taguig shows its support towards our BHWs through multiple 
incentives. Apart from the regular salary that was given, the BHWs also received 
bonuses, and other incentives and benefits such as training, overtime pay, and hazard 
pay. Taguig has taken into its responsibility to elevate the status of the BHWs to be 
formally employed under our LGU as Job Order (JO) and Casual Employees. Such 
benefits should not be limited only in Taguig because all the Filipinos deserve the best 
social services. We should start properly compensating, assisting, and building up the 
skills of our health workers, because they are our backbone for the efficient delivery of 
our overall health system. 
As previously filed during the 18th Congress of the Philippines, this bill reiterates 
and expresses the importance of ensuring that Barangay Health Workers are integrated 
into the LGUs’ organization as Job Order, Contractual, Casual, or Regular Employees and 
given proper compensation for their work, in recognition of their indispensable role in 
our Primary Healthcare System. 
For these reasons, the swift passage of the foregoing measure is earnestly sought. 
RICARDO S. CRUZ JR. 
2 https://www.constitutionalreform.gov.ph/ufaqs/what-is-mandanas-ruling/ 
1 G.R. No. 199802, July 3, 2018. 
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. 1978 
Introduced by REPRESENTATIVE RICARDO S. CRUZ, JR. 
AN ACT STRENGTHENING OUR PRIMARY HEALTH CARE SYSTEM THROUGH THE 
APPOINTMENT OF SUFFICIENT BARANGAY HEALTH WORKERS IN CITIES AND 
MUNICIPALITIES AND ELEVATING THEIR STATUS FROM VOLUNTEERS TO JOB ORDER, 
CONTRACTUAL, CASUAL, OR REGULAR EMPLOYEES AND FURTHER STRENGTHENING 
THE BARANGAY HEALTHCARE SYSTEM, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the “Mahal Ko, Barangay 
Health Worker Ko Law”. 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. – It is the policy of the State to protect and 
promote the right to health of the people and instill health consciousness among them. 
It is therefore the responsibility of the State to adopt an integrated and comprehensive 
approach to health development which shall endeavor to make essential goods, health 
and other social services available to all the people at affordable cost. 
The State recognizes the importance of primary healthcare in ensuring the health 
and well-being of our communities, the direct responsibility for which has now been 
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assumed by local governments, pursuant to the Local Government Code of 1991, as 
amended. 
 As the frontliners of our primary healthcare, the State recognizes the vital role of 
Barangay Health Workers and the need to provide them with security of tenure, 
adequate benefits and just compensation, consistent with the principle of equal pay for 
equal work and work of equal value.  
 
SECTION 3. Definition. – The term “Barangay Health Worker” refers to a person 
who has undergone training programs under any accredited government and 
non-government organization and who renders primary health care services in the 
community after having been accredited to function as such by the local health board in 
accordance with the guidelines promulgated by the Department of Health (DOH) and 
appointed by the city or municipal mayor, as the case may be.  
 
SECTION 4. Ideal Ratio of Barangay Health Workers. – The DOH shall issue the 
guidelines as to the ideal number of Barangay Health Worker-to-population ratio. Such a 
number should be sufficient to allow the city or municipality to satisfactorily deliver 
primary healthcare to its constituents. 
 
SECTION 5. Barangay Health Workers as employees of the Local Government 
Units (LGU). – The city or municipality shall hire the Barangay Health Workers as job 
order, casual, contractual, or regular employees.  
 
Barangay Health Workers currently serving the city or municipality and receiving 
allowances therefrom shall be given preference in the hiring by the city or municipality 
under this Act. 
 
SECTION 6. Compensation and Benefits. – Barangay Health Workers hired 
pursuant to this Act shall receive all the compensation and benefits given by the city or 
municipality to its Job Order, Contractual, Casual, or Regular Employees. 
 
SECTION 7. Special Barangay Health Workers Assistance Program. – The DOH, in 
coordination with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), shall 
create a Special Barangay Health Workers Assistance Program, providing additional 
financial and technical assistance, training and other support to selected LGUs for their 
Barangay Health Workers. This program shall prioritize assistance to LGUs that have no 
or less capacity to give regular and adequate salaries/allowances to its Barangay Health 
Workers for the next ten (10) years, as determined by the DOH and DILG.  
 
SECTION 8. Appropriation. – The amount needed for the implementation of this 
Act shall be charged against the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) shares of the cities 
and municipalities, particularly the additional funds to be received once the 
Mandanas-Garcia Ruling has been fully implemented. 
 
The amount necessary for the initial implementation of the Special Barangay 
Health Workers Assistance Program shall be charged to the current appropriation of the 
DOH. Thereafter, such sum as may be necessary for its continued implementation shall 
be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.  
 
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SECTION 9. Implementing Rules and Regulations – The Department of the 
Interior and Local Government (DILG), in coordination with the Department of Health 
(DOH), shall, within sixty (60) days from the effectivity of this Act, prepare the 
Implementing Rules and Regulations to carry out the provisions of this Act. 
 
SECTION 10. Separability Clause. – If any part or provision of this Act is declared 
invalid or unconstitutional, the other parts hereof not affected thereby shall remain 
valid.  
 
SECTION 11. Repealing Clause. – All laws, acts, presidential decrees, executive 
orders, administrative orders, rules and regulations inconsistent with or contrary to the 
provisions of this Act are deemed amended, modified or repealed accordingly. 
 
SECTION 12. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
 
Approved, 
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