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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

REGISTRATION UNIT
BILLS AND INDEX SERVICE

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

298

House Bill No.

Introduced by Representatives
__ Horacio P. Suansing, Jr. and Estrellita B, Suansing

EXPLANATORY NOTE

‘This bill seeks to strengthen the barangays by providing adequate
support to barangay officials and volunteer workers and improve the provision
of line government services to the people by providing incentives and benefits,
as well as, equipping them with the necessary training to enable them to
efficiently and effectively carry out their duties and responsibilities.

The thrust of this measure is to undertake a much needed reform in
barangay governance anchored in the following:

1. Financial empowerment of Barangay Officials and Volunteers

To deload some of the financial pressure that barangay officials
face, this bill proposes that national government should subsidize the
honorarium of 1 Barangay Health Worker (BHW) and no more than 20
tanods in each barangay. Based on data from the Department of Interior
and Local Government (DILG), the total number of BHWs throughout the
country is 183,389 while the total number of tanods is 443,972. The
honorarium for barangay day care centers (42,384 in total throughout
the country), for their part, should continue to be covered by the
city/municipal government. This way, the honorarium for these
mentioned barangay volunteer workers do not have to compete anymore
for the allocated share (i.e. 55%) of personnel services in the barangay’s
Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA); the budget for personnel services can
instead be maximized for the salary of the punong barangay and the
kagawads as well as the honorarium only for the Barangay Nutrition



Scholars (34,861 in total throughout the country) and the members of
the Lupon ng Tagapamayapa (345,853 in total throughout the country).
Together with the increasing trend of the IRA, barangays will have more
resources at their disposal to financially empower its officials and
volunteers.

Subsidizing the honorarium of BHWs and tanods has the added
benefit of insulating these important barangay frontliners from local
politics. Unlike city and municipal career positions that remain
regardless of who the elected leaders are, almost all barangay workers
and volunteers are replaced when barangay leadership changes. Since
the honorarium for BHWs and tanods will be coming from the national
government, - through the Department of Health (DOH) and the
Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), in particular ~ will
have a stake in guaranteeing that effective BHWs and tanods,
respectively, get to stay and are not arbitrarily removed by newly elected
barangay officials.

2. Capacity building for Barangay Officials and Volunteers

‘The bill likewise seeks to ensure that appropriate training and
seminars will be provided to empower barangay officials and volunteers
to effectively exercise their duties. Protecting barangay volunteer workers
in particular as they perform their tasks is also important, which takes
the form of guaranteeing their access to free legal services when needed
and facilitating their coverage under PhilHealth.

‘The proposed reforms under this bill conform to the principle of local
autonomy as enshrined in the Constitution and to the operative principles of
decentralization as declared in the Local Government Code of 1991. These
reforms are needed more than ever, as we seek to ensure that the growth of the
country has experienced in recent years is truly felt, especially by those at the
margins of society. Barangay officials and volunteers, as the face of government
for most of our people, require the financial empowerment and capability
building championed by this bill to be effective agents of public service.

‘This measure has been filed during the 16th Congress as House Bill No.
6443 and considered approved by the Committee on Local Government. Thus,
a study on the matter has been done.


In view of the foregoing, immediate approval of the bill is earnestly
sought.

HON. HOREAO F euANaniG JR. HON, ESTRELLITA B,
2nd District, Sultan Kudarat 1* District, Nue'


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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. 298

Introduced by Representatives
___ Horacio P, Suansing, Jr. and Estrellita B, Suansing

AN ACT
STRENGTHENING THE BARANGAYS THROUGH SUPPORT FOR BARANGAY
OFFICIALS AND VOLUNTEER WORKERS

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

SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Barangay
Officials and Volunteer Workers Incentives and Benefits Act of 2016.”

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared the policy of the
State to strengthen the barangays by providing adequate support to barangay
officials and volunteer workers and improve the provision of line government
services to the people at the barangay level. The State acknowledges the need
to provide incentives and benefits on order to properly compensate and equip
our barangay officials and volunteer workers with the necessary training and
enable them to efficiently carry out their mandated tasks for the great benefit of
our people.

SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act, the following terms
shall mean:

a) Barangay Officials refer to officials enumerated under Section 387
(a) of Republic Act No. 7160 as amended, otherwise known as the
Local Government Code of 1991 namely the punong barangay,
sangguniang barangay members, sangguniang kabataan
chairperson, secretary and treasurer;


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b) Volunteer Workers refer to Barangay Health Workers and members
of the Barangay Tanod Brigade;

°)

Barangay Health Worker (BHW) refers to a person who has
undergone training programs under any accredited government
and non-government organization and who voluntarily 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

d)

Barangay Tanods refer to all duly appointed members of the
barangay tanod brigades, which shall number not more than
twenty (20) in each barangay as prescribed under the Local
Government Code of 1991.

SEC. 4, Honorarium of BHWs and Barangay Tanods. - In order to
ease the financial burden on our barangay volunteer workers, one (1) BHW in
each barangay and barangay tanods, which shall not be more than twenty (20)
in each barangay, shall receive a monthly honorarium of at least Five hundred
pesos (P500.00) chargeable against the budget of the Department of Health
(DOH) and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG),
respectively: Provided, That barangays may opt to give additional honorarium
equally to all barangay volunteer workers, which shall be charged against the
local budget of each barangay: Provided, further, That nothing herein contained
shall diminish or remove the honorarium already granted to volunteer workers
before the effectivity of this Act.

SEC. 5. Other Incentives and Benefits of Barangay Officials and
Volunteer Worker. - In recognition of their services, the national government
shall, in addition to financial benefits, provide barangay officials and volunteer
workers with the following incentives and benefits:

a) Training and workshops on how to effectively exercise their duty
provided by the DILG for Barangay Tanods and DOH for BHWs, and
such other training fit for barangay officials and volunteer workers;

b) PhilHealth coverage for BHWs, which shall include medical
examination and treatment in government hospitals, and fully
subsidized by the national government through the DOH: Provided,


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‘That indigent barangay volunteer workers shall be covered through
the full national subsidy scheme; and

Free legal services from the government lawyers or the Public
Attorney’s Office (PAO) for cases arising out of or in connection with
performance of their duties as such: Provided, That such legal services
shall continue, even after the expiration of the term of barangay
officials, until its final disposition.

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SEC. 6. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The Department of
Interior and Local Government, in consultation with the National Liga ng mga
Barangay, and the Department of Health, shall issue the necessary rules and
regulations to implement this Act.

SEC. 7. Separability Clause. - If any of the section or provision of this
Act is held invalid, all other provisions not affected thereby shall remain valid
and effective.

SEC. 8, Repealing Clause. - Section 393 of the Local Government Code
of 1991, Republic Act No. 7883 otherwise known as the “Barangay Health
Workers’ Benefits and Incentives Act of 1995” and all laws, decrees, orders,
rules and regulations which are inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed,
amended or modified accordingly.

SEC, 9. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,