LA TRINIDAD, Benguet -- Lawmakers in La Union are asking for the backing of provincial dads to assure salaries of village health workers.
Board Member Joaquin Ostrea Jr. has sought the entire Benguet Provincial Board to adopt a resolution strongly supporting the increase in the compensations of the barangay elective and appointive officials including barangay health workers, barangay nutrition scholars and barangay funded day care workers.
“Barangay Health Workers are effective partners in the delivery of health services and other related activities such as community health, backyard food production, environmental sanitation, culture, supplemental feeding program, and family planning in the barangay,” Ostrea said.
The alderman added he wants to give justice to the diligence and sacrifices of barangay health workers, and it is deemed necessary they be given considerable and judicious compensation.
The province of La Union has earlier passed a resolution enjoining all municipal mayors and city mayor being the chairman of the Local Health Board (LHB), to strictly enforce the Act granting benefits and incentives to accredited barangay health workers and for other purposes and its implementing rules and regulations.
The provincial government is enjoying as many provinces to likewise craft a similar resolution to be able to give incentives to these barangay workers.
“If shared and supported collectively by all Sangguniang Panlalawigan entire the Philippines, will create a resounding voice to call congress to enact an appropriate policy to uplift the welfare of our lowly paid Barangay Health Workers,” Ostrea added.
The matter was discussed in the regular session of the provincial board, Monday and refereed to the committee on laws for their action.
In La Trinidad, Councilor Roderick Awingan passed a law granting “loyalty service incentives” to community volunteers who have worked as barangay health workers, barangay nutrition scholars, and day care workers for 10 years and above would receive additional cash incentive.
The law grants volunteers who served for 10 continuous years and more would be given a cash incentive of P5,000, in addition, the council is still studying whether the incentive would also be given to workers who served 10 years of cumulative service.