Senator Alan Peter Cayetano once again called for the formal employment and adequate compensation of Barangay Health Workers (BHWs) by their respective local government units (LGUs).
This latest effort comes through his proposed measure, aptly titled the Mahal Ko, Barangay Health Worker Ko Law (Senate Bill No. 419), aims to enhance healthcare delivery at the grassroots level and reinforce legal and institutional support for BHWs.
“As frontliners of our Primary Healthcare System, our BHWs must be given sufficient incentives, benefits and most of all just compensation for all the hard work they have done for us.”
“As frontliners of our Primary Healthcare System, our BHWs must be given sufficient incentives, benefits and most of all just compensation for all the hard work they have done for us,” Cayetano emphasized in the bill.
The bill mandates cities and municipalities to hire BHWs as job order, contractual, casual, or regular employees, putting an end to their perennial status as unpaid or underpaid volunteers.
This employment shift would entitle BHWs to fair compensation and full benefits equivalent to their employment status, ensuring that these vital grassroots health workers are properly supported.
The Department of Health (DOH) will be tasked with setting an ideal BHW-to-population ratio to ensure sufficient manpower in every locality for the effective delivery of essential health services.
To assist LGUs with limited resources, the measure also proposes a Special BHW Assistance Program through the DOH and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG). This 10-year program will provide technical, financial, and training support to help LGUs sustain BHW employment and development.
Funding will be sourced from the National Tax Allotment (NTA) of LGUs, following the Mandanas-Garcia Ruling, which increases the LGUs’ share of national taxes. Initial funding for the support program will be drawn from the DOH budget.
Cayetano stressed that formally recognizing BHWs as members of the public workforce is essential to building a resilient and equitable healthcare system, especially in the light of the lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Inspired by the dedication and hard work of BHWs, the veteran legislator championed this measure since the 18th Congress. He reintroduced it in the 19th and now again in the 20th Congress — a move he calls “an unmistakable reaffirmation of its urgent and enduring relevance”.
The seasoned lawmaker also cited the City of Taguig as a model for supporting BHWs through formal employment and extensive benefits.
“The City of Taguig shows its support and appreciation towards our BHWs through multiple incentives.”
“The City of Taguig shows its support and appreciation towards our BHWs through multiple incentives. Aside from their regular salary, they receive bonuses, and other benefits like training, overtime pay, and hazard pay. We have elevated their status to be formally employed under our LGU as Job Order (JO) and Casual Employees,” the senator wrote, expressing hope that this example can be replicated nationwide.
“We should start properly compensating, assisting, and building up the skills of our health workers, because they are our backbone for the efficient delivery of our overall health system,” he concluded.
