Press Release - Cayetano lauds passing on Second Reading of bill to give better support Barangay Health Workers
At A Glance:
The Senate approved on Second Reading the Magna Carta of Barangay Health Workers (SB 2838) to recognize and support BHWs.
The bill institutionalizes their rights, benefits, and protections, addressing issues like inadequate pay, lack of benefits, and limited training.
Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, who earlier filed a similar bill, emphasized BHWs' crucial role during COVID-19 and pushed for better compensation and incentives.
Senator Pia Cayetano, a health advocate, supports the bill and intends to co-author it as it moves to the final reading.
Senator Alan Peter Cayetano lauded the Senate's approval on Second Reading of the Magna Carta of Barangay Health Workers (Senate Bill No. 2838), saying it is a significant step toward recognizing the invaluable contributions of Barangay Health Workers (BHWs) to the nation's healthcare system.
Cayetano, a co-author of the bill and who had also earlier introduced a measure to better support BHWs, said: "As frontliners of our primary healthcare system, our BHWs must be given sufficient incentives, benefits and most of all just compensation for all the hard work they have done for us."
The proposed legislation, which incorporated all the proposals in Cayetano's earlier bill, seeks to institutionalize the rights, benefits, and protection of BHWs, who serve as the frontline healthcare providers in communities across the nation.
It also aims to address long-standing issues such as inadequate compensation, lack of benefits, and limited access to training and resources for BHWs. It passed on Second Reading on Tuesday, January 28.
Other key provisions of the bill include the professionalization and certification that are now mandated for BHWs to ensure competency in delivering primary healthcare services, the creation of a centralized database to track BHWs nationwide, and support for low-income municipalities to deploy sufficient BHWs, particularly in underserved areas.
Cayetano's earlier bill, the proposed "Mahal Ko, Barangay Health Worker Ko Law," was filed on July 7, 2022 and emphasized the vital role of BHWs during the COVID-19 pandemic. As the principal author, he was the first to file this bill among those