HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

RECEIVED
Republic of the Philippines| DaTe:_30 JUN 2073
HOUSE OF REPRESENTA’ a rae
Quezon City, Metro Manila .

SEVENTEENTH CONGRES:
First Regular Session j RECISTRATION UNIT

BILLS AND INDE)
4g I SERVICE

are

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by HONORABLE ROMERO “MIRO” S. QUIMBO

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Article XIII Section 11 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution provides
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.”

By virtue of the Title I Section 17 of the Local Government Code,
deliveries of health care services were devolved to the local government units
(LGU), aiming for self-reliant LGUs to deliver more direct and immediate
health care services to the people. At the forefront of primary health care
delivery are the barangay health workers or BHWs.

At the grassroots where medical practitioners are far in between,
BHWS are tasked with information dissemination on child and maternal
health care programs and provision of initial response to health risks. It is
thus safe to say that our government’s primary responder to any health
problem and primary advocate of health prevention is the barangay health
worker. They surge into the farthest areas to perform their duties, heedless
of the perils along the way. As front liners, BHWs are entrusted with primary
health care delivery but the benefits and incentives they receive are not
commensurate with the heavy responsibilities they bear.

Republic Act 7883 or the Barangay Health Workers’ Benefits and
Incentives Act of 1995 allowed for the institutionalization of remuneration
for our BHWs but the law has to be updated to present realities. Apart from
the hazard and subsistence allowances enshrined in RA 7883, our BHWs
nationwide receive somewhere between P100 to P2,000 monthly Koncrariugt
depending on the discretion of the local leaders. Although BHWs are
categorized as volunteers, such irregular and measly amount does not give
them the dignity and recognition they deserved for the valuable work they
do. Having to depend on the whims of the local leaders for the amount of
their honorarium further demoralize the BHWs as they are often at mercy of
politicians and are often caught in political clashes.


This bill aims to rectify such gaps by providing for fixed monthly
honorarium, cash gifts, separation pay and disability benefits to all
accredited BHWS. This bill also seeks to ensure that amounts provided in
the measure will be adjusted to present realities based on Consumer Price
Indices (CPI), upon review and approval of the local health board.

In support of around 220,000 accredited BHWs in the country, the
passage of this bill is earnestly sought.



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Republic of the Philippines

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 4 3

Introduced by HONORABLE ROMERO “MIRO” S. QUIMBO

AN ACT GRANTING A FIXED MONTHLY HONORARIA AND ADDITIONAL
BENEFITS TO ACCREDITED BARANGAY HEALTH WORKERS,
AMENDING FOR THIS PURPOSE SECTION 6 OF REPUBLIC ACT 7883
OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE BARANGAY HEALTH WORKERS’
BENEFITS AND INCENTIVES ACT OF 1995

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

SECTION 1. Short Title - Section 6 of Republic Act 7883 otherwise known
as the “Barangay Health Workers’ Benefits and Incentives Act of 1995” is

hereby amended to read as follows:

Section 6. Incentives and Benefits - In recognition of their service, all
accredited barangay health workers who are actively and regularly
performing their duties shall be entitled to the following incentives

and benefits:

a) HONORARIA - ALL ACCREDITED BARANGAY HEALTH
WORKERS SHALL BE ENTITLED TO A FIXED MONTHLY

HONORARIA OF FOUR THOUSAND PESOS (P4,000)


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b) CASH GIFT - ALL ACCREDITED BARANGAY HEALTH WORKERS
SHALL RECEIVE A CASH GIFT OF TWO THOUSAND PESOS

(P2,0000 TO BE GIVEN EVERY DECEMBER.

c) SEPARATION PAY - ACCREDITED BARANGAY HEALTH
WORKERS WHO HAVE SERVED FOR TEN (10) YEARS AND ABOVE
SHALL BE ENTITLED TO TWO THOUSAND PESOS (P2,000) FOR

EVERY YEAR OF SERVICE.

d) DISABILITY BENEFIT - ACCREDITED BARANGAY HEALTH
WORKERS WHO SUSTAIN INJURY OR SICKNESS ARISING OUT
OF AND IN THE COURSE OF PERFORMING THEIR DUTIES SHALL
BE ENTITLED TO TWO THOUSAND PESOS (P2,000) FOR EVERY
YEAR OF SERVICE

e) Hazard Allowance — 20x
k) Preferential Access to Loans ~— xxx

SUCH INCENTIVES AND BENEFITS, MAY BE INCREASED, UPON
REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF THE LOCAL HEALTH BOARD, AFTER.
CONSIDERING AMONG OTHERS, PRESENT CONSUMER PRICE
INDEX (CPI), AS PUBLISHED BY THE NATIONAL STATISTICS

OFFICE (NSO).


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SECTION 2. Implementing Rules and Regulations - The Department of
Health, in cooperation with the Department of Interior and Local
Government, and other concerned government agencies, shall formulate,
within one hundred eighty days (180) from its effectivity, the rules and

regulations necessary to implement this Act.

SECTION 3. Separability Clause - If any provision or part hereof, is heid
invalid or unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not

otherwise affected shall remain valid and subsisting.

SECTION 4. Repealing Clause ~ All laws, issuances or any part thereof

inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.
SECTION 5. Effectivity -This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following
its publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general

circulation.

Approved,