Senate Approves Magna Carta for Barangay Health Workers

MANILA, Philippines — Ending a 40-year legislative struggle, the Senate yesterday unanimously approved on third and final reading a landmark bill granting standardized pay, benefits and job security to the country’s 277,000 volunteer barangay health workers. Voting 20-0, lawmakers passed Senate Bill 1905, or the Magna Carta of Barangay Health Workers, which guarantees registered BHWs a minimum monthly honorarium of P3,000, hazard and transportation allowances, state insurance and a one-time P10,000 loyalty incentive for those with at least 15 years of continuous service. Sen. Risa Hontiveros, the bill’s principal sponsor, hailed the passage as a long-overdue victory for community frontliners who historically served without fixed salaries or safety nets. Sen. JV Ejercito, author and co-sponsor of the measure, lamented how community health volunteers often dip into their own pockets to buy medical supplies for their neighbors while navigating local politics. Sen. Joel Villanueva called them the “quiet heroes” of the primary healthcare system as Sen. Francis Pangilinan noted that the measure is a matter of basic dignity for the country’s first responders.