Championing the cause of the country’s barangay workers, PROMDI presidential candidate Sen. Manny Pacquiao yesterday declared his commitment to push for the regularization, salary standardization, and the special risk allowances during calamities for barangay personnel.
Pacquiao declared this in conjunction with his adoption as a son of Brgy. Poblacion Oeste in Dagupan City on the second day of his sorties in Pangasinan province.
In his talks with Brgy. Poblacion Oeste chairman Macmac Gutierrez during a “boodle fight” with barangay officials and residents, Pacquiao said that he has filed a bill which seeks to give barangay personnel regular salaries just like other government workers.
Pacquiao has authored Senate Bill 1956 or the “Barangay Officials Salary 2 Standardization Act of 2020” which seeks to amend the Local Government Code to finally give barangay officials and personnel their regular salaries and special risk allowance during calamities.
The bill which remains pending in the Senate, “seeks to provide regularization, salary standardization, and additional benefits that will supplement those already provided in existing laws, rules, and regulations, in favor of all appointed and elected barangay officials.”
The bill also proposes that barangay chief executives, the members of the Sangguniang Barangay, the Sangguniang Kabataan Chairperson, the Barangay Secretary, and Barangay Treasurer are declared as regular government employees of the government thereby allowing them to enjoy the benefits of all government workers.
Pacquiao added barangay personnel should be also be given commensurate remuneration and health benefits for the dangers they face in dealing with crises such as the present problem on the COVID-19 pandemic.
The senator said he would ask the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to develop a “standardized Position Classification and Compensation Scheme for Barangay Officials, Personnel, and Volunteer Workers.”
This would consider “their educational qualification, nature of work intended to be performed, and the financial capability of their respective barangays, and subject to the minimum qualification standards and guidelines to be prescribed by the Civil Service Commission (CSC).”
The Position Classification and Compensation Scheme for Barangay Officials and Personnel shall be comprised of three salary grades, namely:
1. Barangay Salary Grade I for barangay appointive officials as already provided by law, and other barangay personnel the positions of which are provided for by ordinance of the corresponding barangay with a salary of P15,000 per month.
2. Barangay Salary Grade II for barangay elective officials in the Sangguniang Kabataan and Sangguniang Barangay with the exception of the Punong Barangay with a salary of P25,000 per month.
3. Barangay Salary Grade III for Punong Barangay with salary of P35,000 a month.
As regularized government employees, Pacquiao said barangay officials and personnel shall likewise be entitled to 13th-month pay, a Christmas bonus of P3,000, and other bonuses as may be provided by law.