Senators push bigger retirement benefit for barangay workers

MANILA, Philippines - Ten senators have expressed support to the measure being pushed by Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. that aims to grant retirement benefits to barangay officials and workers.

Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile, and Senators Maria Lourdes “Nancy” Binay, Pia Cayetano, Joseph Victor Ejercito, Jinggoy Estrada, Manuel “Lito” Lapid, Aquilino "Koko” Pimentel III, Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., Cynthia Villar, and Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara have joined Marcos as co-authors of the measure.

Marcos is spearheading the passage of Senate Bill No. 12 entitled “An Act Providing Barangay Officials, including Barangay Tanods, Members of the Lupon ng Tagapamayapa, Barangay Health Workers and Barangay Day Care Workers a Retirement Benefit.”

Marcos is chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Government.

Prior to the recess of the 16th Congress, Marcos sponsored in the plenary Committee Report No. 31 which provides a retirement pay of P100,000 for each barangay chairman, P80,000 for each member of the Sangguniang Barangay, and P50,000 each for barangay treasurer and secretary, barangay tanod, member of the Lupon ng Tagapamayapa, and barangay health and day care worker.

Barangay officials and workers who have reached the retirement age of 60 and with at least nine years in service are entitled to the benefits.

Also qualified are any barangay official or worker who dies or becomes permanently incapacitated while in the performance of duty rrespective of age and the numbers of years in service.

“More often than not, these officials and workers are bread-winners of their respective families. Rightfully, their time should have been entirely devoted to income generating activities,” Marcos said.

“However, driven by their ardent desire to serve their country and countrymen, they continue to spend time responding to the demands of public service, " Marcos added.

If enacted into law, some 95,616 barangay officials and workers can immediately avail of the retirement benefit since they are already qualified to such as of June 7, 2013, according to the National Barangay Operations Office of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG). The government needs some P5.2 billion to pay for their retirement.

As a funding source for the monetary benefit, the bill provides that a Barangay Retirement Fund shall be created through annual investment equivalent to one percent (1%) of the share of the national government from the Internal Revenue Allotment collection.  Such fund shall be administered by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).