Honoraria increase for Barangay Officials, Workers sought

The Baguio City Council has approved a resolution requesting for the increase of the Honoraria of all barangay officials, barangay nutrition scholars (BNS), barangay health workers (BHWs), tanods, daycare workers, and other barangay employees.

The requested honoraria increase should be based on the barangay worker’s national tax allotment (NTA) and shares from other locally generated revenues and aids in accordance with Department of Budget and Management (DBM) rules and circulars subject to personnel services limitation under the Local Government Code.

The resolution was addressed to the DBM, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and the Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLFG). The said agencies were requested to assist the 128 barangays in the city for the adjustment and increase of the honoraria of the barangay officials and workers.

Councilor Mylen VictoriaYaranon, author of the resolution, mentioned that there will be an increase in the budgets of all local government units (LGUs) in 2022 because of the Mandanas-Garcia Ruling which allows the inclusion of all national income in the computation of the share of the LGUs from the actual collections of national taxes.

Yaranon asserted that the said government agencies should give the necessary assistance in determining the appropriate honoraria for barangay officials and workers subject to existing barangay rules and circulars taking into consideration the implementation of the NTA and the expected increase of barangay budgets.

The councilor stressed that barangay officials and workers, being the primary responders to the concerns of their respective communities, render public service beyond the regular eight-hour workday and that they are on call round-the-clock. She described their services as “necessary, essential, indispensable, and critical.”

She stated that while local government officials and employees are covered by the salary standardization law, barangay officials, employees, and volunteers only receive honoraria for the services they render.

Copies of the resolution signed by Mayor Benjamin Magalong have been forwarded to the concerned offices for information and appropriate action. –Jordan G. Habbiling