Marcos' bill entitles 'killed in action' barangay officials
and workers to retirement benefit

"Killed in action" barangay officials and barangay workers, irrespective of their age and number of years in service, shall receive a benefit the same as the retirement pay that will be given to barangay officials and workers who will retire at the age of 60 after serving 9 years or more.

This was the assurance given by Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" R. Marcos, Jr. in his Senate Bill No. 12 entitled "An Act Providing Barangay Officials, including Barangay Tanods, Members of the Lupon ng Tagapamayapa, Barangay Health Workers and Barangay Day Care Workers a Retirement Benefit."

Early this month, Marcos, chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Government, sponsored the bill, under Committee Report No. 30, which provides a retirement pay of P100,000 for each barangay chairman, P80,000 for each member of Sangguniang Barangay, and P50,000 each for barangay treasurer and secretary, barangay tanod, member of the Lupon ng Tagapamayapa, and barangay health and day care worker.

Entitled to the benefit are barangay officials and workers who have reached the retiring age of 60 and with at least 9 years in service and "any such official or worker who dies or becomes permanently incapacitated while in the performance of duty...irrespective of age and number of years in service."

Marcos has urged for the immediate passage of his measure saying it manifests acknowledgement of the invaluable contribution of barangay officials and workers who are serving in the front lines without regular monthly salaries but are compensated only with disproportionate honoraria, allowances, or other forms of emoluments.

"The dynamic officials and conscientious workers who are behind the active operation of the affairs of our barangays are left with measly benefits," Marcos said.

The National Barangay Operations Office of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) has determined that as of June 7, 2013, some 95,616 are qualified for the benefit out of 1,849,232 total numbers of barangay officials and workers in the country. The government needs some P5.2 billion to pay for the retirement of the qualified ones.

As funding source for the monetary benefit, the bill provides that a Barangay Retirement Fund shall be created through annual investment equivalent to one percent (1%) of the share of the national government from the Internal Revenue Allotment collection. Such fund shall be administered by the DILG.