Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
FIRST REGULAR SESSION

4232

House Bill No.

Introduced by Honorable RODOLFO G. VALENCIA

EXPLANATORY NOTE,

This bill seeks to establish a magna carta for barangays. As the basic
political unit, the barangay serves as the primary planning and implementing unit
of government programs, projects and activities. It is also the foram in which the
collective views of the people in the community may be crystallized and considered.

The Barangay also serves as the basic training ground for future ieaders of the
nation.

Due to the important role of barangays, it is just appropriate that measures
be adopted to promote their welfare and prosperity.

‘This Legislative measure proposes the following:
1. That barangay officials be considered as regular government employees with

fixed salaries, allowances, insurance, medical and dental coverage, retirement

benefits and other fringe benefits to which regular government employee is
entitle.

2. Basic priorities such as regular supply of clean and potable water, public
transportation, schools, health centers and Barangay halls, should be provided
every barangay.

‘The approval of this is earnestly urged.

RODOLFP G. VALENCIA


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
FIRST REGULAR SESSION

4232

House Bill No.

Introduced by Honorable RODOLFO G. VALENCIA

AN ACT
ESTABLISHING THE MAGNA CARTA FOR BARANGAYS
1. TITLE, DECLARATION OF POLICY AND GENERAL PRINCIPLES

SECTION
Barangays.

. Title of Act. - This Act shall be known as “The Magna Carta for

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to promote, develop
and improve the general welfare of barangay residents, raise the economic and
social status of barangay officials, grant every barangay, the basic facilities for
decent, healthy and comfortable living therein and provide new measures that will
insure its enjoyment of local autonomy to ensure the effective performance of its
role as the primary planning and implementing unit of government programs,
projects and activities, and as a forum in which the collective views of the people in
the community may be crystallized and considered.

SEC. 3. General Principles. - The following are the general principles of this Act:
a. The national government shall give more attention to the development of
the barangay, as it is the base of this country’s economy.

b. Every barangay shall be given the authority and capability to solve its
problems on its level.

c. Self-help or people power shall be the guiding principle in all barangay
development projects.

TI. BARANGAY OFFICIALS AS REGULAR
GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES,

SEC. 4. The Barangay Officials as Regular Government Employees. — The
punong barangay, sangguniang barangay members, the sangguniang kabataan
chairman, the barangay secretary and barangay treasurer in all barangays are
hereby declared regular government employees, and as such are entitled to fixed
salaries, allowances, insurance, medical and dental coverage, retirement benefits


and such other fringe benefits to which a regular government employee may be
entitled to.

SEC. 5. Salaries of Barangay Officials. - As soon as the appropriate steps and
measures are undertaken by cach city or municipality in coordination with the
individual barangay involved on matters relating to the sources of fund and the
corresponding appropriation ordinance, which in no case shall be later than six (6)
months from the approval hereof, all barangay oflicials mentioned in paragraph 4
hereof, shall be entitled to the following fixed salaries:

Punong Barangay - An amount equivalent to the salary of a sangguniang
bayan member of his municipality or city.

Seven Sangguniang Barangay Members - An amount equivalent to eighty
percent (80%) of the salary of a sangguniang bayan
member of his municipality or city

Sangguniang Kabatan Chairman, Barangay Secretary, Barangay Treasurer -
For each, an amount equivalent to seventy-five percent
(78%) of the salary of a sangguniang bayan member of his
municipality or city

SEC. 6. Barangay Employees - all employees of barangays shall be entitled to
hhave some form of compensation such as Representation and Transportation
Allowance to be determined by each barangay according to their capacity but in no
case lower than the minimum daily wage law as per ceilings set by the respective
Regional Wage Board. They shall also be provided with medical/dental or health
insurance.

III. BASIC PRIORITIES IN THE BARANGAY

SEC. 7. Drinking Water for Every Barangay. - It is the right of every barangay to
have a regular supply of clean and potable water. To attain this goal, every city or
municipality, as the case may be, is hereby required to construct and/or maintain
at least one deep well with pumping device for drawing drinking water to supply the
needs of every one thousand residents for each barangay within its jurisdiction.

SEC. 8. Transportation for Every Barangay. - It is also the right of every
barangay to have public transportation available at least once a day. For this
Purpose, every municipality of city, as the case may be, should make such
necessary representations before the appropriate government agencies to require
public utility companies operating within its jurisdiction to provide the minimum
means of transportation in every barangay.

SEC. 9. Schools, Health Centers and Barangay Halls for the Barangays. -
Every barangay is entitled to have at least one elementary school, provided that
there shall be at least one high school for every five (5) kilometers from the
barangay center. It shall also be the right of every barangay to have one health
center and one barangay hall.


V. SUNDRY MATTERS

SEC. 10. Priority in Employment. - Residents in every barangay shall have the
priority in the hiring of workers and laborers to be needed in any government
construction or development projects within the barangay.

SEC. 11, Cooperative Enterprise. - Cooperative enterprises in the barangay shall
be encouraged and every barangay is directed to give full assistance for the
establishment and organization of said enterprises and to take every possible effort
to make cooperative undertakings a way of life in the barangay.

VI. ADMINISTRATION AND ENFORCEMENT

SEC. 12. Rules and Regulations. - The Secretary of Department of Interior and
Local Government shall promulgate such rules and regulations as may be
necessary to implement the provisions of this Act. Rules and regulations issued
Pursuant to this Section shall take effect thirty (30) days after publication in a
nationa) newspaper of general circulation and by such other means as the
Secretary of Local Government deems reasonably sufficient to give interested
parties general notice of such issuance.

SEC. 13. Budgetary Estimates. - The Secretary of Department of Interior and
Local Government shall submit to the Congress the necessary budgetary estimates
to implement the provisions of this Act conceming the allowances, insurance,
medical, dental and retirement benefits and other fringe benefits of barangay
officials, the basic priorities in the barangays and the barangay scholarship grant.

SEC. 14, Penal Provision. - Any person who shall willfully interfere with, restrain
or coerce any barangay official or barangay resident in the exercise of his or their
rights guaranteed by this Act or who shail in any other manner commit any act to
defeat any of the provisions of this Act shall, upon conviction, be punished by a fine
of not less than five hundred pesos nor more than two thousand pesos, or by
imprisonment or six months and one day, or both, subject to the discretion of the
court. If the offender is a public official, the court shall order his dismissal from the
government service.

SEC. 15. Repealing Clause. - All Acts and decrees, executive orders,
implementing rules and regulations or parts thereof, inconsistent with the
Provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly.

SEC. 16, Separability Clause. - If any provisions of this Act are declared invalid,

the remainder or any provisions thereof not affected thereby shall remain in force
and effect.

SEC. 17. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect upon its publication in
two national newspapers of general circulation.

Approved.