MANILA: Senator Loren Legarda is pushing for the passage of a measure seeking to regularize barangay officials as government employees with fixed salaries and comprehensive benefits. Legarda said Senate Bill No. 2786 or the Regularization of Barangay Officials Act, which she filed last Aug. 14, aims to enhance the stability and effectiveness of barangay governance. 'We want our barangay officials to receive the same full benefits that other government workers enjoy, giving them the peace of mind they deserve -especially after serving their communities,' Legarda said in a news release on Tuesday. Under the proposed measure, the barangay chairperson, sangguniang barangay members, sangguniang kabataan (SK) chairperson, barangay secretary, and barangay treasurer shall be considered as regular government employees. As such, they will be entitled to fixed salaries, allowances, Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG coverage, as well as other fringe benefits a regular government empl oyee may be entitled under Civil Service rules and regulations. If passed into law, the barangay chairperson's salary will be equivalent to a city/municipal councilor; sangguniang barangay members will receive 80 percent of the chairperson's salary; while the SK chairperson, barangay secretary, and treasurer will receive 75 percent. 'The most basic unit of local government must be incentivized for their efforts for their public service, as they usually are the most tangible persons of the State many residents see,' Legarda said. 'Their dedication to public service deserves fair and regular compensation.' Source: Philippines News Agency