Chiz seeks passage
of legislation to make barangay execs wage earners
By Office of Senator Chiz
Escudero
December 18, 2015
PASAY CITY – Sen.
Francis “Chiz” Escudero expressed hope his proposal seeking a fixed
salary for barangay officials will also be approved when session
resumes next month after the Senate passed a bill authorizing barangay
captains to administer the oath of office of any government official,
including the President.
He said the passage of the
twin measures would be a “big step in recognizing the vital role of
those in the frontline of government service in nation-building.”
Senate Bill No. 2693, which
authorizes the punong barangay or village chieftain to administer the
oath of all government officials – from the President down to the
lowest elective and appointive public officers – was approved on final
reading by the Senate on Dec. 14. Escudero is one of the principal
authors of the bill.
“It is just right that our
barangay officials are now being given the proper recognition they
deserve with all their sacrifices in serving the public 24 hours a
day, seven days a week,” said Escudero, who is leading the
vice-presidential race.
Since he first became
senator in 2007, Escudero has been pushing for a fixed salary for
barangay officials rather than a mere honorarium based on their share
of the Internal Revenue Allotment or IRA.
Escudero’s SBN 124 seeks to
amend Section 393 of Republic Act No. 7160, or the Local Government
Code, to provide barangay captains a monthly salary which is 20
percent above the minimum wage rate prevailing in their particular
region.
Under the proposed measure,
barangay council members, treasurers and secretaries will receive a
monthly salary based on the prevailing minimum wage rate in the
region.
At present, a barangay
captain is getting an honorarium of at least P1,000 per month while
the councilors, the treasurer and secretary each receive P600 monthly.
“As the most visible faces
of government service, our barangay officials deserve to be
compensated more than other officials of the government. They are
expected to function above and beyond the normal service hours
extended by the government to the people, given the proximity of the
barangay to homes and workplaces,” he pointed out.
Escudero’s bill has been
consolidated in SBN 12, along with other bills seeking higher benefits
for officials of 42,000 barangays across the country.