Senator Alan Peter Cayetano lauded the Senate’s approval on Second Reading of the Magna Carta of Barangay Health Workers (Senate Bill No. 2838), saying it is a significant step toward recognizing the invaluable contributions of Barangay Health Workers (BHWs) to the nation’s healthcare system.
Cayetano, a co-author of the bill and who had also earlier introduced a measure to better support BHWs, said: “As frontliners of our primary healthcare system, our BHWs must be given sufficient incentives, benefits and most of all just compensation for all the hard work they have done for us.”
The proposed legislation, which incorporated all the proposals in Cayetano’s earlier bill, seeks to institutionalize the rights, benefits, and protection of BHWs, who serve as the frontline healthcare providers in communities across the nation.
It also aims to address long-standing issues such as inadequate compensation, lack of benefits, and limited access to training and resources for BHWs. It passed on Second Reading on Tuesday, January 28.
Other key provisions of the bill include the professionalization and certification that are now mandated for BHWs to ensure competency in delivering primary healthcare services, the creation of a centralized database to track BHWs nationwide, and support for low-income municipalities to deploy sufficient BHWs, particularly in underserved areas.
Cayetano’s earlier bill, the proposed “Mahal Ko, Barangay Health Worker Ko Law,” was filed on July 7, 2022 and emphasized the vital role of BHWs during the COVID-19 pandemic. As the principal author, he was the first to file this bill among those included in the committee report.
“During the COVID-19 pandemic, BHWs were notably at the forefront of response where they served as the bridge way of communication between the health centers and constituents,” the senator said in his bill’s explanatory note.
Inspired by their dedication and hard work, Cayetano sought to improve the BHWs’ employment standards, increase their number in each barangay or cluster, and provide them with incentives and benefits. All of his proposals have now been incorporated into the consolidated measure.
“Because all Filipinos deserve the best social services, we should start properly compensating, assisting, and building up the skills of our BHWs, because they are our backbone for the efficient delivery of our overall health system,” he explained, lauding the measure.
Senator Pia Cayetano, a fellow health advocate, has expressed her intention to co-author the landmark bill, which is expected to pass Third and Final Reading next week. ###
