Leni Robredo: Term extensions, added honoraria for barangays

MANILA, Philippines – After the Sanggunian Kabataan Reform Act, will a similar measure to reform barangays (villages) in the Philippines follow?

It’s one of the measures Camarines Sur 3rd district Representative and Liberal Party (LP) vice presidential bet Leni Robredo is pushing for, and one that was highlighted during a campaign sortie with barangay officials in Quezon City on Thursday, February 18.

The bill was split into two – House Bill 6442 and House Bill 6443 – during a congressional committee hearing on February 1. Both passed the committee level and are now awaiting second reading.

“Yung asawa ko po napakatagal na mayor ng Naga. At nakita niya, nakita po namin na hindi magiging ganap yung asenso ng isang bansa pag hindi talaga palakasin yung mga barangay,” Robredo said during two separate events with barangay officials from all 6 districts of vote-rich Quezon City.

(My husband was mayor of Naga for a long time. And he saw, we realized, that a country will not progress if we don’t empower barangays.)

Robredo is the widow of the late Jesse Robredo, who was Naga mayor for over two decades before he was appointed chief of the interior department.

The late Naga mayor is remembered for his performance as a local chief executive and for championing local government units (LGUs) in the country. He died in 2012, when the plane he was riding crashed off the coast of Masbate.

Almost 4 years later, Robredo, a low-key political wife and lawyer, is gunning for the second-highest post in the land. Robredo, like each and every LP bet in 2016, promises to continue the supposed gains of the current administration.

But she also trumpets her experience in grassroots governance because of her husband’s experience as mayor and her experience as a lawyer to the poor.

The “Barangay Reform Bill” or the “Robredo Bill”, as the ruling party’s vice presidential bet terms it, will entitle barangay health workers and at least 20 tanods (local security officers) a monthly honorarium of at least P500 from the health department and the interior department.

Under the Local Government Code, only barangay officials – the punong barangay (village captain), sangguniang barangay (village council), barangay treasurer and barangay secretary – are entitled to honoraria of at least P1,000 for captains and P600 for council members, treasurers, and secretaries.

Richer barangays, of course, may opt to give their officials higher honoraria.

According to a briefer from Robredo’s office, HB 6443 also seeks to do the following:

• Provide training and workshops for tanods and health workers from the interior and health departments
• Extend PhilHealth coverage to medical examinations and treatment in all government hospitals, fully subsidized by the health department
• Give free legal services through government lawyers or the Public Attorney’s Office for cases brought about by their job. These services will remain even beyond their term, until the case is closed.

Terms for barangay officials will also be extended to 5 years from the current 3-year term, if HB 6442 is passed.

Similar to the SK Reform Bill, the proposed Barangay Reform Bill may postpone the scheduled barangay elections in 2016 to 2018, as Congress hears the bill.

It was this possibility that elicited the most cheers from barangay officials during the Quezon City campaign sortie of Robredo and her standard-bearer Manuel Roxas II. There are some 42,000 barangays all over the Philippines.

Barangay officials who are now on their last term will continue to serve until 2018 but will not be allowed to seek a 4th, consecutive post. – Bea Cupin/Rappler.com