Better Incentives for barangay execs and workers sought

A party-list lawmaker on Sunday pushed for the passage of a bill granting bigger honorarium and Christmas bonus for barangay officials and employees whose services have proven valuable amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bagong Henerasyon Rep. Bernadette Herrera

“Now more than ever, we must give our barangay workers better compensation in recognition of their vital role as frontline service providers as we see it today when the country is facing the worst public health crisis of this generation,” Deputy Majority Leader and Bagong Henerasyon Rep. Bernadette Herrera said.

“If we cannot afford to give them fixed salary, we might as well give them higher honorarium and Christmas bonus as a token of our appreciation for their sacrifices in serving the public, especially in these trying times,” she added.

Herrera earlier filed House Bill (HB) 5846 proposing to increase the honorarium and Christmas incentives of barangay officials, including barangay tanod (watchman) and members of lupong tagapamayapa (pacification committee) by amending a provision in the 29-year-old Local Government Code (LGC).

Under the LGC—which has remained relatively unchanged since its enactment in 1991—barangay officials should only receive honorariums, and not salaries.

At present, a barangay chairman gets an honorarium of at least P1,000 a month, while the councilor, treasurer and secretary each receive P600. However, these amounts could be adjusted according to the availability of funds.

In her bill, Herrera proposes a minimum of P10,000 in monthly honorarium for barangay chairman; P8,000 for councilors, treasurer and secretary; and P5,000 for watchmen and members of lupong tagapamayapa.

Herrera also seeks a Christmas bonus of P3,000 for each barangay worker. She also wants to provide them with greater medical benefits, insurance coverage, free tuition for their children at state universities and colleges, among others.

The bill is pending with the House Committee on Local Government.

In pushing for higher cash incentives for barangay workers, Herrera noted that they currently receive small compensation that are inadequate for the needs of their families.

“They (barangay workers) do not enjoy much benefits from performing their mandate of addressing day-to-day issues of their communities,” Herrera said.

“This measure (HB 5846) recognizes the contribution of barangay officials and employees to the holistic and effective governance in the country. We must ensure the welfare of the public by empowering our barangay workers who are at the forefront of government service,” she added. (Content reposted from
Manila Standard Today. Photo from philstar.com)

Army, Cotabato LGU train IP barangays on defense systems

MAGPET, COTABATO – The Army’s 72nd Infantry Battalion, in collaboration with Magpet Local Government Unit and Magpet Municipal Police Station, conducted a 2-day Bagani Orientation Seminar to 46 Indigenous People (IPs) of the Ovu-Monuvo tribe as part of strengthening the Integrated Territorial Defense System (ITDS) in the former Communist TerrorIst Group (CTG)-affected barangays of the municipality on Tuesday, May 12, 2020.

The beneficiaries of the orientation seminar are the Bagani’s residing in Barangays Bagumbayan and Temporan of the aforementioned municiplaity. These 46 IPs are the first batch of Bagani’s who were given this seminar within the unit’s area of operation. Sitio Bantaan and Sitio Tungao of Barangays Bagumbayan and Temporan, respectively, will be the home of the Bagani volunteers.

The Bagani’s are very eager to defend their home against the deceptive and abusive New People’s Army (NPA) Terrorists. “Nagapasalamat mi sa 72nd IB, PNP, ug Magpet LGU sa gihatag nila nga higayon para kami nga mga Bagani maghiusa sa pagdepensa sa among yutang kabilin batok sa mga pagpangilad og pagpanghimulos sa CPP-NPA sa amoang mga ka Tribu. (We thank the 72nd IB, PNP and Magpet LGU for giving us the chance to unite and defend our ancestral land against the fraud and deceit of CPP-NPA among the tribes),” Datu Noa, a Bagani member, said.

Meanwhile, Lt. Col. Rey T Alvarado, 72IB Commanding Officer, also extended his gratitude to the IPs for their cooperation and willingness to support the 72nd IB to promote peace and development in their locality. 

“The stronger our Integrated Territorial Defenses are, the higher the chance that insurgency in the 72IB AO will come to extinction. Thus, peace and development is maintained and people will surely live peacefully,” he said. Moreover, he also thanked Magpet-LGU headed by its Mayor, Honorable Florenito T Gonzaga for his unwavering support and steadfast leadership towards peace and development of his municipality.

In addition, 18 Barangay Peace Action Teams (BPATs) members also joined the seminar. Both the Baganis and BPAT Members were thought on Safety Gun Handling, Basic First Aid and Information Collection. They were also given homemade shotguns courtesy of the municipal LGU which will serve as their defensive tools against bad elements intruding in their ancestral homes. 

In return, the 72nd IB and Magpet PNP collaborated and assured the LGU of regular monitoring and conduct of refresher seminar of the Bagani especially accounting the said armaments to avoid any untoward incidents in the future. (Content and photo reposted from Kalinaw News)

PNP hunts down Cebu barangay captain for organizing cockfighting amid COVID-19 threat

Police are now hunting down a barangay captain who was accused of repeatedly organizing illegal cockfighting in his barangay in Cebu despite the strict implementation of quarantine rules that include prohibition against mass gathering.

Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac, spokesman of the Philippine National Police (PNP), said Wilfredo Alvarado eluded arrest when the local police raided an illegal cockfighting event which he organized on Saturday.

Alvarado is the chairman of Barangay Lamesa in Balamban town of Cebu.
“He is actually the target of the operation because of the confirmed intelligence reports about this kind of illegal activity,” said Banac.

Nabbed during the operation were Ruben Gabutin, 56; Judito Dumdum, 35; Teodoro Madarang, 61; Jeronio Banate, 49; and, Jovanie Basillote, 27.
Seized were two gaffs spurs with scabbards, two color red fighting cocks ; two fighting cock cages; two units motorcycles; and cash amounting to P3,420.00 in different denominations used as bet money.

The arrested suspects were brought to Balamban Municipal Police Station for proper disposition and appropriate filing of criminal charges on Monday, May 18 for violating Presidential Decree 449 (Cockfighting Law).

It was recalled that President Duterte has ordered the Department of Interior and Local Government to investigate barangay executives for organizing illegal cockfighting events amid the implementation of the Enhanced Community Quarantine in Luzon and some parts of the country.

Duterte also ordered the PNP to run after local government officials involved in the anomalous distribution of the government’s cash assistance through the Social Amelioration Program. (Content and photo reposted from Manila Bulletin)

In photo: PNP Spokesman Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac

Sarangani barangays receive additional assistance

ALABEL, Sarangani (May 12, 2020) – Governor Steve Chiongbian Solon talks with the barangay captains of Alabel on May 8 during the “Turnover and Distribution Ceremony” of financial aid and additional relief items at the provincial gymnasium.

Governor Solon stressed the importance of strictly following precautionary measures like wearing of masks and the 2-meter physical distancing to avoid being infected by coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Alabel was the first town in the province to receive additional assistance. The turnover and distribution are set to be completed this week in to all the barangays in the remaining towns in Sarangani.

The aid was intended for the frontline workers who are continuously working amid the global health crisis. (Content including photo reposted from the Official Website of Sarangani Province)

In photo: Governor Steve Chiongbian Solon of Sarangani Province

Barangay health emergency response teams train in Benguet

The municipal government of Mankayan of this province conducted continuous trainings for the members of the barangay health emergency response teams (BHERTs) in the municipality to ensure the proper handling of suspected Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) cases pursuant to established health protocols to prevent the spread of the deadly virus, especially during the onset of the rainy season.

Mayor Frenzel A. Ayong said the municipal disaster risk reduction and management office (MDRRMO) and the municipal health office (MHO) which are the municipal government offices in charge of the said barangay-based trainings are now making the rounds in the town’s 12 barangays to train the BHERTs members to ensure their awareness on the execution of the proper health protocols to COVID cases.

He pointed out the municipal government wants the BHERTs members to be properly equipped in handling suspected COVID cases because with the onset of the rainy season, there will be people who will contract simple cough, colds and fever which are the rainy day illnesses and that the same could be misinterpreted as possible COVID suspects that may result to the discrimination of the said residents.

“ We are elated on the overwhelming response of the people in the barangays interested in participating in the said training because they want to be well informed on how to handle possible COVID suspects and put to practice established health protocols to prevent the spread of the deadly virus once there will be confirmed cases in the municipality. We do not want people having simple fever, cough and colds to be discriminated by people in the barangay, thus the municipal government decided to pursue such training for interested barangay health emergency response team members,” Mayor Ayong stressed.

The municipal chief executive added the municipal government had also been receiving positive responses from the initial 5 barangays where the training had been conducted, thus, the coverage area of the training will be expanded to have the widest possible sharing of established health protocols and allow peoples to learn how to effectively and efficiently handle suspected or confirmed COVID cases to prevent panic in the areas where the said incidents are reported.

According to him, Mankayan remains to be COVID-free because of the vigilance and cooperation of the residents to the prescribed guidelines and policies governing the implementation of the extended Luzonwide enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).

He noted that from the proposed 20 to 30 participants of the training in each of the barangays, the number of participants usually double, a clear indication that many people want to be know important information and participate in the activities being undertaken to ensure that suspected COVID cases are given the appropriate attention prior to their being turned over to the health facilities designated to handle COVID patients. (Content reposted from HeraldExpress)

Photo:  Benguet Provincial Capitol, PIA