Delos Santos wants increase in BHW monthly honorarium

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City Councilor Mary Ann de los Santos, through a resolution, is requesting the Office of the City Mayor to consider increasing the monthly honorarium of Barangay Health Workers (BHW).

In her proposed resolution, which the City Council is expected to discuss Wednesday next week, de los Santos said the BHWs are frontline health workers providing basic health education and primary health care services within their respective community.

Given the distance of most barangays from major health care facilities in the city and the lack of barangay resources such as transport vehicles, most BHWs are forced to shell out personal funds while assisting patients.

Under the City Ordinance No. 2609 otherwise known as "An Ordinance Institutionalizing the Granting of Uniformed Amount of Financial Assistance Based on Job Classification of All Barangay Appointed Employees such as Gender and Development (GAD) Focal, Barangay Nutrition Scholar, Barangay Health Worker, Barangay Environmental Officer, Barangay Garbage Collector/Loader, Barangay Tanod, Lupong Tagapamayapa, Among Others, and Providing Funds Therefore”, the city government is obligated to give a monthly honorarium to BHWs and other barangay workers .

A BHW is defined as a person who has undergone training programs under any accredited government and non-government organization and voluntarily renders primary health care services in the community.

“The BHW are frontline health workers who provide basic health education and selected primary health care services within their respective barangays, their roles are very significant with the present diverse Cebu City residents,” read a portion of de los Santos’ draft resolution.

Earlier, Altea Lim, Cebu City Health Department (CCHD) BHW Coordinator, asked for an increase in the honorarium of the over 900 BHWs of the city. She said these volunteer workers worked almost 24 hours a day to assist the city’s health workers.

Although BHWs in Cebu City are receiving more than their counterparts in other areas in Central Visayas, but the P7,500 honorarium is still not enough. She asked to raise the amount to P10,000.

Lim said that BHWs also work under extreme conditions, especially those assigned in far-flung barangays. Lim said, she has opened this up to acting Mayor Raymond Alvin N. Garcia, who is receptive of the idea.

“Pero dili pa siya (Garcia) kahatag because dili pa enough atong (City Hall) finances para sa increase. For sure, mangayo sad og increase ang other barangay personnel like tanods, loaders, and drivers,” Lim said. — (FREEMAN)