Barangay officials deserve not just honoraria but fixed salaries commensurate to their valuable contribution to the community as frontliners of government service.
“Hindi makatarungan na ang mga taong hinalal ng taumbayan ay honorarium lang ang natatanggap,” (It is not fair that elected officials will only receive honoraria) Angara said.
“Kung mayroong mga karapat-dapat na makatanggap ng sapat at tamang sweldo mula sa gobyerno, sila ay ang mga opisyal ng barangay na handang maglingkod sa kanilang mga kababayan, bente-kwatro oras, pitong araw kada linggo,” (If there are those deserving to get proper salaries, these are the barangay officials who are prepared to serve their countrymen 24 hours a day, seven days a week) the chair of the Senate Committee on Local Government added.
The seasoned legislator had earlier filed Senate Bill 2097 or the proposed Magna Carta for Barangays, which introduces wide-ranging reforms to improve the services and facilities in all barangays across the country, as well as make barangay officials regular state employees entitled to regular pay and benefits.
The measure aims to help barangays perform their mandate of delivering basic services in the “most efficient, responsive and sustainable manner.”
According to the veteran lawmaker, more than 42,000 barangays–including the new barangays created by 17 laws earlier deliberated on and passed by his committee–stand to benefit from the bill.
“Just remuneration would further fuel their passion in public service for the benefit of their constituencies.”
Under the Local Government Code, barangay officials should only receive honorariums, and not salaries. At present, a barangay chairman gets an honorarium of at least P1,000 per month, while the councilors, treasurer and secretary each receive P600 monthly.
These amounts could be adjusted according to the availability of funds, but can only be limited to the equivalent of Salary Grade (SG) 14 for barangay chairman and SG 10 for council members.
In his bill, the senator proposed that barangay chairman receive an amount equivalent to the salary of a member of the Sangguniang Bayan (SG 24 or 25) or Sangguniang Panlunsod (SG 27) of his municipality or city.
He also wants each of the six barangay councilors be given an amount equivalent to 80 percent of the city or municipal council member’s salary, while the kabataang barangay chair and barangay secretary and treasurer, equivalent to 75 percent.
Aside from basic salary, Angara said barangay executives should also receive allowances, insurance, medical and dental coverage, retirement and other fringe benefits.
“Aside from basic salary, barangay executives should also receive allowances, insurance, medical and dental coverage, retirement and other fringe benefits.”
He believes that affording barangay officials just remuneration would “further fuel their passion in public service” for the benefit of their constituencies.
The proposed Magna Cara for Barangay seeks to provide communities with appropriate basic services and facilities such as regular supply of clean and potable water, public transportation, schools, health centers and barangay halls in order to meet the requirements of their local populace.
Under the measure, every city or municipality is required to construct and maintain at least one deep well to supply the drinking water needs of every 1,000 residents for each barangay.
Each city or municipality is also tasked to make necessary representations before national government agencies to require public utility companies operating within its jurisdiction to provide minimum means of transportation in every barangay.
The bill entitles every barangay to one elementary school and one high school for every five kilometers from the barangay center, as well as one barangay health center.
