TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE PHILIPPINES 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
First Regular Session
S. B. No. 419
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25 JULIO P6:01 
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INTRODUCED BY SENATOR ALAN PETER “COMPANERO” S. CAYETANO
AN ACT
STRENGTHENING THE GRASSROOTS 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
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Barangay Health Workers (BHWs) play a vital role in strengthening the country’s 
primary health care system. As frontline health providers in their communities, they 
serve as the crucial link between government health services and the people, 
ensuring that care reaches even the most remote households. Through house-to- 
house visits, they deliver essential health services, disseminate health information, 
and distribute basic medicines. Their tireless service not only promotes preventive 
health care but also helps reduce the government’s burden on curative health 
spending by addressing health concerns at the grassroots level.
The Philippine Constitution provides that “the State shall protect and promote the 
right to health of the people and instill health consciousness among them”. 
Towards this, the State shall develop 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 COVID-19 pandemic revealed issues in our healthcare system such as 
overloaded hospitals and facilities, and overworked and underpaid healthcare 
workers. It showed that one of our greatest challenges is the lack of adequate 
healthcare workers, facilities and equipment, especially in remote areas.
Considering that health care services have been devolved to the Local 
Government Units (LGU) pursuant to the Local Government Code of 1991, the 
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 frontliners of our Primary Healthcare System, our BHWs must be given 
sufficient incentives, benefits and most of all just compensation for all the hard 
work they have done for us. The goal of 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. Ochoa clarified that 
the share of Local Government Units (LGU) of the Internal Revenue Allotment 
(IRA) does not exclude other national taxes like customs duties. With the 
implementation of the Mandanas-Garcia ruling in 2022, the Department of Finance 
shared that it “increased the National Tax Allotment shares of LGUs to 40% of all 
national taxes beyond those collected by the Bureau of Internal Revenue.’’1 
Therefore, there’s an additional source of funds for the salaries and benefits of 
Barangay Health Workers who have tirelessly sacrificed for their community, 
especially during this pandemic. In light of this, the LGUs, as a matter of policy, 
should endeavor to hire Barangay Health Workers as casual workers, or on a 
contractual and job order basis, and then eventually as regular employees once 
the Mandanas-Garcia ruling is fully implemented.
The City of Taguig shows its support and appreciation towards our BHWs through 
multiple incentives. Aside from their regular salary, they receive bonuses, and 
other benefits like training, overtime pay, and hazard pay. We have elevated their 
status 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.
First filed during the 18th Congress and again in the 19th, this bill is now being 
refiled in the 20th Congress—an unmistakable reaffirmation of its urgent and 
enduring relevance. It underscores the critical need to formally integrate Barangay 
Health Workers (BHWs) into the organizational structure of LGUs as their 
employees in the form of job order, casual, contractual or regular positions thereby 
ensuring that they receive equitable compensation, security of tenure, and access 
to benefits long overdue and not just a meager honorarium, for their untiring 
services to provide primary health care to our people.
The repeated filing of this measure reflects a firm and consistent commitment to 
institutionalize the indispensable role of BHWs as the backbone of our primary 
health care system and to give them the rightful recognition and dignity they 
deserve as members of the public workforce.
In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is earnestly sought.
ALAN PETER “COMPANERO” S. CAYETANO
1 NTA share for LGUs https://www.dofgov.ph/dof-clarifies-determination-of-the-national-tax-allotment-shares-for- 
Igus-ensures-transparency-and-strict-compliance-with-mandanas-garcia-
ruling/#:~:text=The%202019%20Mandanas%2DGarcia%20ruling.of/o20Intemal%20Revenue%20(BIR').


TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE PHILIPPINES 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
First Regular Session
S. B. No. 419
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25 JULIO P6:01
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INTRODUCED BY SENATOR ALAN PETER “COMPANERO” S. CAYETANO
AN ACT
STRENGTHENING THE GRASSROOTS 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:
1 
Section 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Mahal Ko, Barangay
2 
Health Worker Ko Law.”
3 
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to protect and
4 
promote the right to health of the people and instill health consciousness among
5 
them. It is therefore the responsibility of the State to adopt an integrated and
6 
comprehensive approach to health development which shall endeavor to make
7 
essential goods, health and other social services available to all the people at
8 
affordable cost.
9 
The State recognizes the importance of primary healthcare in ensuring the
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health and well-being of our communities, the direct responsibility for which has
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now been assumed by local governments, pursuant to the Local Government Code
12 
of 1991, as amended.
13 
As the frontliners of our primary healthcare, the State recognizes the vital
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role of Barangay Health Workers and the need to provide them with security of
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tenure, adequate benefits and just compensation, consistent with the principle of
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equal pay for equal work and work of equal value.
17 
Sec. 3. Definition. - The term “Barangay Health Worker” refers to a person
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who has undergone training programs under any accredited government and non-
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government organization and who renders primary health care services in the
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community after having been accredited to function as such by the local health
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board in accordance with the guidelines promulgated by the Department of Health
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(DOH) and appointed by the city or municipal mayor, as the case may be.
23 
Sec. 4. Ideal Ratio of Barangay Health Workers. - The DOH shall issue the
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guidelines as to the ideal number of Barangay Health Worker-to-population ratio.
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Such a number should be sufficient to allow the city or municipality to satisfactorily
26 
deliver primary healthcare to its constituents.


1 
Sec. 5. Barangay Health Workers as employees of the Local Government
2 
Units (LGU). - The city or municipality shall hire the Barangay Health Workers as
3 
job order, casual, contractual, or regular employees.
4 
Barangay Health Workers currently serving the city or municipality and
5 
receiving allowances therefrom shall be given preference in the hiring by the city
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or municipality under this Act.
7 
Sec. 6. Compensation and Benefits. - Barangay Health Workers hired
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pursuant to this Act shall receive all the compensation and benefits given by the
9 
city or municipality to its job order, contractual, casual, or regular employees.
10 
Sec. 7. Special Barangay Health Workers Assistance Program. - The DOH,
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in coordination with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG),
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shall create a Special Barangay Health Workers Assistance Program, providing
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additional financial and technical assistance, training and other support to selected
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LGUs for their Barangay Health Workers. This program shall prioritize assistance
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to LGUs that have no or less capacity to give regular and adequate
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salaries/allowances to its Barangay Health Workers for the next ten (10) years, as
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determined by the DOH and DILG.
18 
Sec. 8. Appropriation. - The amount needed for the implementation of this
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Act shall be charged against the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) share of the
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cities and municipalities, including but not limited to the additional funds to be
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received once the Mandanas-Garcia Ruling has been fully implemented.
22 
The amount necessary for the initial implementation of the Special Barangay
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Health Workers Assistance Program shall be charged to the current appropriation
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of the DOH. Thereafter, such sum as may be necessary for its continued
25 
implementation shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.
26 
Sec. 9. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The Department of the
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Interior and Local Government (DILG), in coordination with the Department of
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Health (DOH), shall, within sixty (60) days from the effectivity of this Act, prepare
29 
the Implementing Rules and Regulations to carry out the provisions of this Act.
30 
Sec. 10. Separability Clause. - If any part or provision of this Act is declared
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invalid or unconstitutional, the other parts hereof not affected thereby shall remain
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valid.
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Sec. 11. Repealing Clause. - All laws, acts, presidential decrees, executive
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orders, administrative orders, rules and regulations inconsistent with or contrary to
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the provisions of this Act are deemed amended, modified or repealed accordingly.
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Sec. 12. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
37 
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,