The Department of the Interior and Local Government
(DILG) on Monday said it will be pushing for the professionalization of
barangay officials.
According to DILG Undersecretary and spokesman Jonathan
Malaya, with the diverse functions they perform, it is time for barangay
officials to have standard salaries.
“Actually, this has been our long-standing proposal. Once
Congress deliberates again, we will file a formal bill for the concentration of
local government because we think village chiefs and their council officers
must get salaries because we expect a lot from them,” Malaya said in a radio
interview.
“Now, it’s the time to professionalize the barangay. They
should be salaried and not just being given honoraria,” he added.
Malaya furthered that the agency will be creating a
technical working group to deliberate on the matter soon as the coronavirus
disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis eases.
Apart from the professionalization of barangay
executives, the DILG is also looking into laying down educational
qualifications for those seeking positions in the barangay.
Malaya underscored the importance of having a
“professional barangay” especially when it comes to addressing disasters and
emergencies.
“We expect a lot from them. We saw how in this COVID-19
situation, the role of the barangay officials played from quarantine to contact
tracing,” noted Malaya. (Content and photo of DILG Usec Jonathan Malaya reposted from Tribune)
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