Press Release September 16, 2019
Public Hearing on Local Government joint with Ways and Means, Finance, and Government Corporations & Public Enterprises Good morning, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I would like to thank you for prioritizing our country's basic political unit, the barangay. We all know that the barangay and its officials are the immediate provider of frontline services to our fellow countrymen. Sila ang pinakaunang tinatakbuhan ng ating mga kababayan. Ang mga barangay captains sa Davao, ang tawag ko diyan, alam ni Councilor Dayanghirang iyan, suki kasi umaga pa lang andun na sa opisina ko hanggang sa pag-uwi ko nasa ibaba ng hagdan, ihahatid talaga ako at kasama dun ang paghatid nila ng serbisyo sa mga tao nila. Sila ang nagdadala ng serbisyo sa kababayan nila. Alam ko po kung gaano kaimportante ang mga barangay officials. And it is because of this reason that we have to further improve the barangays and address the woes of our barangay officials. These reasons, among many others, made me decide to file Senate Bill No. 391, which provides for the Magna Carta for Barangays. The bill outlines the basic priorities in each barangay such as the right of every barangay to have regular supply of clean and potable water; to have readily available means of public transport; and the entitlement of every barangay to schools, health centers and barangay halls. Barangay officials are our government's frontliners--first to respond, first to provide and first to serve. Despite this, they receive a simple honoraria for their service. They deserve much more than that. I refuse to accept that they continue to be short-changed by the current system. That is why under the bill I filed, barangay officials will now be treated as regular government employees receiving benefits that regular government employees enjoy. Ma-iaangat na po natin ang kalagayan ng buhay nila. The punong barangay, members of the sangguniang barangay, the sangguniang kabataan chairperson, the barangay secretary and barangay treasurer will now be entitled to salaries, emoluments, allowances such as hazard pay, representation and transportation allowance, 13th month pay and other benefits. In line with President Duterte's on-going war against illegal drugs, corruption and criminality, the bill allows for an appointment of additional barangay tanods by the punong barangay upon the concurrence of the majority of the sangguniang barangay members. This will ensure the maintenance of peace and order in the barangays. Surely, the security and safety of our countrymen must be met firstly in their immediate communities. This measure hopes to address that. Mr. Chair, with your permission, I just have a few questions for our resource persons. To Liga ng Mga Barangay, or To National Chairman Dayanghirang, kabisadong-kabisado na niya ito lahat:
To Department of Budget and Management
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Wednesday, March 27
Tuesday, March 26
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