Senate tackles bills ensuring welfare of barangay health workers

MANILA: The Senate subcommittee on Magna Carta of Barangay Health Workers (BHWs) convened on Tuesday to discuss 17 measures seeking to ensure their welfare and benefits. Senator JV Ejercito, who presided over the hearing, expressed his concern over thousands of BHWs who lost their jobs after the recent Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections when new officials replaced them. "Nakakalungkot itong bagong katatapos na eleksyon -- 80,000 BHWs ang nawalan ng trabaho. Napalitan dahil sa eleksyon (This recent election makes me sad as 80,000 BHWs lost their jobs. They were replaced because of the elections). Hopefully, we can address this," Ejercito said. "Kasi po ang nangyayari sa barangay, kapag bago ang kapitan, usually pinapalitan nila dahil feeling nila 'yung mga BHW ay kakampi nung nakaraang [administrasyon] (Because what happens in barangays, if the chairperson is new, usually they replace them because they feel that the BHWs are allies of the previous administration)," he added. Ejercito also found ou t during the hearing that the national government will spend around PHP600 million to train the new BHWs appointed by the new barangay administrations. "Napakalaki ng nasasayang natin (We are wasting so much). We are spending so much for training only for BHWs to be replaced every time there is an election. So, gagastos tayo ng additional more than a billion siguro kung lahat ng training isasama mo na (we will spend additional more than a billlion maybe if we include all trainings)," he said. Meanwhile, Senator Robinhood Padilla appealed to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to help find funds for the benefits for BHWs, especially those in far-flung areas. Padilla pointed out that while BHWs work as "foot soldiers" to ensure Filipinos' health, not all local government units could afford to give them the benefits they deserve, especially those in far-flung areas. "Naniniwala naman tayo ang pinakamahalaga sa bansang ito ang kalusugan ng ating kababayan, nag-aalaga doon mga BHW. Saan natin pwedeng kunin ang pera? May pagkukunan ng pera para maibsan ang kahirapan ng ating BHW, magkaroon naman sila ng sapat ang kayang buhayin ang kanilang sarili (We believe the health of all Filipinos is important. Where can we get the funds for the benefits of our BHWs so they can make ends meet)?" Padilla said. The DBM's National Health Workforce Support System provides for doctors, nurses, midwives, dentists, pharmacists, and public health associates employed in 5th- and 6th-class municipalities. Source: Philippines News Agency