A lump sum retirement gratuity pay equivalent to one-year honorarium or P100,000 as well as grant of other benefits including a higher Christmas bonus for barangay officials are now being pushed anew in the Senate.
In making the proposal, Senator Win Gatchalian said the existing amounts being provided under the Local Government Code of 1991 or RA 7160 are no longer sufficient to provide for the families of barangay officials.
“The provisions in the Local Government Code enumerating the benefits and privileges for these barangay officials leave much to be desired. If we are to effectively give to the local government units the self-sufficiency that the government envisions, we must be able to provide the conditions conducive to a productive leadership,” Gatchalian said in his Senate Bill No. 1867.
“This bill proposes to fill-in the inequities in the present law by providing for the increase in their honorarium and Christmas bonuses and granting an additional benefit of a lump sum gratuity pay upon their retirement – the much-needed benefit and privilege to our hard-working barangay officials,” the legislator added.
“The bill proposes to fill-in the inequities in the present law by providing for the increase in their honorarium and Christmas bonuses and granting an additional benefit of a lump sum gratuity pay upon their retirement – the much-needed benefit and privilege to our hard-working barangay officials.”
Under the measure, which was first proposed during the 15th Congress by both Houses, the P1,000 monthly allowance of barangay chairpersons as well as barangay tanods (watchmen) and members of the lupong tagapamayapa (peace committee), shall be increased from P2,000 to P5,000.
This is on top of the P2,000 Christmas bonus which is an increase of P1,000 from the amount currently provided for in the law, the lawmaker said.
The lawmaker also proposed to have the legitimate dependent children of barangay tanod brigades given free tuition and matriculation fees.
Gatchalian also proposed to have the legitimate dependent children of barangay tanod brigades given free tuition and matriculation fees.
Retired barangay officials, who are at least 60 years of age and who have served nine years or three consecutive terms at the time of retirement, will also be entitled to a lump sum gratuity pay equivalent to one-year honorarium or P100,000, the bill said.
The amount needed for such benefits will be drawn from the Barangay Retirement Gratuity Fund which will be created following the enactment of the bill.
In pushing for these amendments in RA 7160, Gatchalian cited the crucial role of barangay officials in not only enforcing laws but also in exercising judicial functions.
“The barangay officials are on-call 24/7 for the welfare of their constituencies. Their political jurisdiction may be small but their duties are expansive and call for direct assimilation among members of the community,” he said.
