Inclusion of village officials in GSIS coverage eyed

BARANGAY officials should be fully recognized as government employees by including them under the coverage of the Government Service Insurance System.

Bayan Muna party-list lawmakers Neri Colmenares and Teddy Casiño, in filing House Bill 5637, noted that barangay officials “remain unrecognized government employees despite the fact that the barangay council serves as the nearest link of the people to the government, thus depriving them of the benefits that government employees enjoy.”

Under the Local Government Code of 1991, barangay officials are compensated via an honorarium of not less than P1,000 per month for the punong barangay and P600 each per month for the sangguniang barangay members, barangay treasurer and secretary, which may be increased or adjusted.

But the lawmakers said “by recognizing them as government employees and putting them under the coverage of the GSIS, barangay officials will be enjoying regular salaries, insurance coverage and retirement pensions.”

As per the proposal, the GSIS coverage should be expanded by including barangay officials, particularly the punong barangay, kagawads, secretary and the treasurer, as members of the System so that they can avail of the pension benefits.

“The GSIS, in consultation and coordination with the Department of Interior and Local Government and the league representing barangay captains and officials, shall issue the necessary rules and regulations…”

These rules should include the rate of premiums and the manner of its payment, the extent of insurance coverage, the contributions to be collected from barangay officials and the possible contributions of provinces, cities or municipalities, and possible funds that may be sourced from the General Appropriations Act, among others.