Cash incentives bill for barangay workers pushed in Congress

Barangay officials and workers nationwide will  collect cash incentives of P50,000 to P100,000 upon their retirement if House Bill 4712 presented by Las Piñas Rep. Mark Villar is passed into law.

The bill seeks to provide retirement benefits to elected barangay officials, tanods, barangay workers and health workers and is now pending with the local governments’ committee of the House of Congress.

“I only need to give it some push so that the bill gets approved before the 16th Congress ends.  But I can still do this,” said Villar, chairman of the house’s trade and industry committee in Filipino.

Villar was in Cebu yesterday to attend to several commitments including the province-wide Barangay Health Workers (BHW) convention held at the Naga City gym.

In his speech before 1,000 people, Villar praised BHWs for their important contribution to ensuring good health even for people in far-flung barangays. He said the government has to compensate them for their sacrifices.

HB 4712 seeks to extend cash assistance of P100,000 to elected barangay captains and P80,000 to Sangguniang Barangay Members upon their retirement from service.

Barangay treasurers, secretary, tanods, members of the Lupong Tagapamayapa, BHWs and daycare workers will get P50,000 each if they have already reached 60 years of age and rendered at least 11 years of service.

Representative Villar, who is the son of former senator Manuel and incumbent Sen. Cynthia Villar, admitted that he has been going around the country to make his presence felt. But he would not yet say if he will seek a national post in next year’s election because it would be a party decision.

The Villars belong the Nacionalista Party which is in coalition with the Liberal Party.