Press Release
Less than a month before the scheduled barangay elections
REP. SALO BATS FOR REGULAR SALARIES OF BARANGAY OFFICIALS
House Assistant Majority Leader and KABAYAN Party-list Representative Ron P. Salo files House Bill 6033 or the Barangay Officials Salary and Benefits Act.
Barangay officials are deemed persons in authority in their respective barangays, and are mandated to maintain public order and ensure the efficient delivery of basic services to the people. Their functions cut across the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government.
As a basic political unit of government, the barangay serves as the primary planning and implementing unit of government programs. However, despite these functions and responsibilities imposed on barangay officials, they are among the least paid public servants, and are not entitled to the regular benefits afforded to regular government employees.
Barangay captains used to receive honorarium, a measly sum of P1,000 while council members, secretaries, and treasurers used to receive P600 only as honorarium.
In 1996, the Department of Budget and Management addressed this by fixing the compensation of barangay captains at Salary Grade 14 and for the rest, Salary Grade 10. Payments at these new rates, however, are subject to the availability of funds of the LGU concerned. As such, their compensation is subject to the whims and caprices of those in power.
HB 6033 seeks to address this further by making sure the salaries come from the funds of the cities and towns they are part of. Those funds include the internal revenue allotment as already provided by law, among them the Local Government Code.
HB 6033 proposes to raise the compensation of barangay chairmen to Salary Grade 15 and kagawad (councilmen) to Salary Grade 12. The proposal shall give regular salaries to barangay officials.
When HB 6033 becomes a law, all barangay officials shall be entitled to the following fixed regular salaries:
a) Punong barangay – Salary Grade 15 (P27, 565 per month)
b) Sangguniang Barangay Members – Salary Grade 12 (P21,387 per month)
c) Barangay Secretary – Salary Grade 10 (P18, 217 per month)
d) Barangay Treasurer – Salary Grade 10 (P18, 217 per month)
Reference on salary grades:
https://goo.gl/QFz43g If this bill gets passed before the next batch of barangay officials are elected, that next batch and every batch thereafter will be entitled to the salary increases, as well as GSIS, PhilHealth, and Pag-IBIG benefits.
Bottom line is this: We want and expect these local leaders to really function. We should match our expectations with commensurate compensation. Let us professionalize the barangay. Let's give our barangay officials the compensation they deserve to ensure that they shall be completely focused in performing their functions.
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