Recognizing the crucial role that barangay officials play, Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III wants to declare barangay officials as regular government employees.
Pimentel filed a proposed measure which seeks to establish a Magna Carta for barangays.
“As the basic political unit, the importance of barangays in our system of government cannot be overemphasized. It is therefore fitting that measures to promote the welfare and prosperity of barangays be enshrined in a Magna Carta to give due recognition to the crucial role they play,” he said.
In the Magna Carta for Barangays, Pimentel said the punong barangay should have a salary equivalent to that of a Sangguniang Bayan member of his municipality or city.
Members of the Sangguniang Barangay should receive an amount equivalent to 80 percent of the salary of their Sangguniang Bayan members while the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) chair, barangay secretary and barangay treasurer should have a pay amounting to 75 percent of the salary of their Sangguniang Bayan members, the senator said.