Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

4096
House Bill No.

Introduced by
ANAKALUSUGAN REPRESENTATIVE MICHAEL T. DEFENSOR

Ra

EXPLANATORY NOTE

‘The 1987 Constitution states that:

Article II, Section 15: The State shall protect and promote the right to health of the

people and instill health consciousness among them.

Furthermore, it adds in Article XIII, Section 11 that: " The State shall 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.
There shall be priority for the needs of the underprivileged sick, elderly, disabled, women,
and children.”

The Universal Health Care Law emphasized the importance of primary health care
and its role towards a holistic approach to health issues of the country. According to Republic
Act No. 11223, on chapter I, Sec. 4., s., primary health care provider refers to health care
worker with defined competencies, who has received certification in primary care as
determined by the Department of Health (DOH) or any health institution that is licensed and
certified by the DOH.! The Barangay Health Workers as the frontliners, are the core in
providing primary health care services. As volunteers, they are not being compensated justly,
as well as there is no security of tenure in their profession.

* Republic Act No. 11223 or the Universal Health Care Law.
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This bill aims to regularized barangay health workers, which would standardize their
compensations and would provide the barangay health workers their security of tenure.

Considering the foregoing reasons, the passage of this bill is earnestly requested.

MI 4 SOR
Representati
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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

' 4096
House Bill No.

Introduced by
ANAKALUSUGAN REPRESENTATIVE MICHAEL T. DEFENSOR

AN ACT REGULARIZING BARANGAY HEALTH WORKERS AND PROVIDING
SALARIES THEREOF,

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 “Regularization of
Barangay Health Workers’ Act of 2019”

Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy - It is the policy of the state to protect and promote
the right to health of the people and to ensure that each individual has access to
information and services that will bring about health and well-being. It recognizes
the Primary Health Care approach as the major strategy for health empowerment,
emphasizing the need to provide accessible and quality health services with
Barangay Health Workers (BHWs) acting as the primary channel for implementing
the State’s health policies down to the barangay health needs. In pursuance of this,
Barangay Health Workers in all barangays are hereby declared as regular
government employees and, as such, are entitled to fixed salaries, allowances,
insurance, medical and dental coverage, retirement benefits and such other fringe
benefits which, under the Civil Service laws, rules and regulations, a regular
employee may be entitled to.

Sec. 3. Qualifications for Regularization. - The Department of Health (DOH)
shall determine the qualifications of BHWs who can be regularized through the skills

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training that they have undergone. The DOH shall set the list of trainings, seminars
and other requirements as the criteria for regularizing a BHW.

Sec. 4. Number of Barangay Health Workers. - Each barangay shalll be assigned
one (1) regularized BHW who will be rendering primary health care services for the
people.

Sec. 5. Appointment. - The Local Health Board shall determine the area of
assignment of the regularized BHW.

Sec. 6. Security of Tenure. Once assigned, the regularized BHW shall only be
terminated for cause or upon reaching the age of sixty-five (65) years.

Sec. 7. Budgetary Estimates. - The Secretary of DOH shall submit to the
Congress the necessary budgetary estimates to implement the provisions of this Act
concerning the allowances, insurance, medical, dental and retirement benefits, and
other fringe benefits of BHWs.

Sec. 8. Implementing Rules and Regulation. The DOH, in consultation with the
Civil Service Commission and other government agencies charged with the carrying
out of the provisions of this Act shall formulate the necessary rules and regulations
within sixty (60) days after the effectivity of this Act.

Sec. 9. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, executive orders, and other

presidential issuances which are inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed,
amended or modified accordingly.

Sec. 10. Separability Clause. - If, for any reason, any section or provisions of
this Act is held unconstitutional or invalid, the other sections or provisions hereof
shall not be affected thereby.

Sec. 11. Effectivity. - This Act take effect fifteen days (15) after its publication
in at least two (2) national newspapers of general circulation.

Approved