Additional benefits for barangay workers and retroactive salary increases for local government unit (LGU) employees have been pushed in the House of Representatives.
Bicol Saro Partylist Representative Brian Raymund Yamsuan emphasized the need for barangay officials and workers to be included in the coverage of the Social Security System (SSS).
This move follows the initiative of House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.
Yamsuan filed House Bill 9976, which aims to amend Republic Act 6942.
The bill seeks to include barangay tanods, barangay health workers, day care workers, and members of the lupong tagapamayapa in the coverage of death, burial, and accident insurance benefits currently provided only to local government officials without fixed salaries.
At present, these insurance benefits are limited to barangay captains, Sangguniang Kabataan chairpersons, and other select barangay officials.
Yamsuan also supported the Department of Budget and Management’s (DBM) recommendation to amend provisions of the Local Government Code to implement retroactive salary increases for LGU employees.