Health workers in Brgy. Carreta conducted vaccination among stray dogs after the barangay recorded positive of having rabies cases in the city this year. | Photo from Dr. Alice Utlang/Facebook
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Local health officials in Cebu City are calling for an increase in the monthly stipend of barangay health workers (BHWs), proposing a raise from the current P7,500 to P10,000.
This proposed hike, if approved, stands to benefit more than 900 BHWs across the city’s 80 barangays.
Altea Racuya-Lim, the BHW coordinator for the Cebu City Health Department (CCHD), explained the need to raise the stipend for health workers, citing the increasingly demanding nature of their responsibilities.
“Kinahanglan na gyud nato i-increase ang honorarium sa mga BHWs kay 24-7 man gud ni sila,” Lim said during CCHD’s “Patas Sa Kahimsug” teleradyo program on Sugboanon Channel.
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Lim pointed out that although BHWs in Cebu City earn more than their counterparts in other Central Visayas areas, their current honorarium is insufficient given the expanding scope of their responsibilities.
The challenges are even more pronounced for those assigned to remote barangays, where conditions are tougher, with some BHWs needing to traverse rivers and climb mountains to reach their areas of responsibility.
“Ilabi na kaning mga BHWs nato sa bukid. Layo-layo gyud ang ilang lakwan. Molabang pa gane og sapa unya mosaka pa sa bukid. Luoy gyud kaayo,” she added.
The proposal to increase the stipend had been previously discussed with the late City Councilor and former Congressman Antonio Cuenco Sr., but it stalled after his passing in 2020 due to COVID-19.
Lim has since raised the matter with Acting Mayor Raymond Alvin N. Garcia, who, while open to the idea, expressed concerns about the city’s current financial capacity to support the increase.
“Pero dili pa siya (Garcia) kahatag because dili pa enough atong finances para sa increase. For sure, mangayo sad og increase ang other barangay personnel like tanods, loaders, and drivers,” Lim noted.
Lim also plans to collaborate with City Councilor Jocelyn Pesquera on advancing the proposal. Pesquera, who heads the City Council’s committee on health, is also a member of the Local Health Board.
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Moreover, Lim acknowledged the numerous challenges faced by BHWs in Cebu City, including low pay and political pressures.
She mentioned that BHWs often become targets of political persecution during changes in barangay leadership.
“Sad to say nga some BHWs are not allowed inside the health centers kay dili sila kaalyado sa barangay captain,” she said.
Suspended Mayor Mike Rama had ordered newly elected barangay officials to renew all BHWs after the 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections. However, Lim could not confirm whether all barangays had complied with this directive.
The work of BHWs is crucial, as they provide vital information on the health status of barangays to the CCHD. They are also tasked with providing preventive medicine services, conducting community outreach, and serving as health promotion officers. /clorenciana