Partido Reporma standard-bearer Panfilo “Ping” Lacson expressed his commitment to push for a legislation that would institutionalize higher compensation and benefit packages for barangay healthcare workers (BHW) nationwide under his administration.
Lacson announced this during a town hall meeting with residents and sectoral organization leaders in Cauayan City, Isabela together with his running mate, Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III.
The veteran lawmakers already introduced this measure under Senate Bill No. 2498, otherwise known as the “Magna Carta of Barangay Health Workers,” which they filed in January.
“We filed the bill for the benefit of our barangay health workers. And for the barangay officials, we also proposed measures to gradually lift their status in our society in recognition of their sacrifices,” he said.
The proposed Magna of Barangay Health Workers aims to declare it a state policy to “protect and promote the right to health of people and adopt an integrated and comprehensive approach to health development.”
The bill aims to professionalize and duly recognize BHWs as public health workers, thus making them entitled to receive special risk allowances, standard compensation rates, insurance coverage, training opportunities, incentives and other benefits funded by the state.
Lacson said he and Sotto proposed the measure to acknowledge the contributions of healthcare personnel serving at the barangay level, especially during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, which put them highly at risk of getting infected themselves.
“What they (BHWs) do is they are risking their lives, even their families’ welfare, but without receiving incentives or motivation from the national government,” he said.