TINGOG party-list Reps. Yedda Marie Romualdez and Jude Acidre have filed a bill seeking to increase the allowances of barangay officials and grant honoraria and other benefits to barangay workers.
The wife of Speaker Martin Romualdez and Acidre co-authored House Bill No. 2349 which increases the minimum allowance of punong barangay or barangay chairmen/captains from P1,000 to P3,500 per month.
The bill, which is pending before the committee on local government, also proposes that the monthly P600 allowance of Sangguniang Barangay members, barangay treasurer, secretary and tanods be increased to P2,500.
The measure states that barangay tanods who have served for at least one year shall also be entitled to such compensation and benefits.
“Under Republic Act No. 7160, otherwise known as the Local Government Code of 1991, as amended, barangay officials are compensated in the form of honorarium at an amount not less than P1,000 per month for the punong barangay and P600 per month for each Sangguniang Barangay member, barangay treasurer and barangay secretary,” Romualdez and Acidre said.
“As the Act was enacted decades ago, such compensations are no longer in accordance with the regional minimum wage level. Further, excluded therein are barangay tanods despite the services they render to their constituents,” they added.
“This bill seeks to provide a compensation package commensurate with the work and services the barangay officials extend to their constituents and to encourage and professionalize the recruitment of barangay officials,” they also said.
HB 2349 seeks to amend Section 393 of the Local Government Code by increasing the minimum honoraria or allowances that could be given to barangay officials, including barangay tanods and members of “Lupong Tagapamayapa” or barangay court/justice committee.
