CEBU CITY (PIA) -- Virginia Canencia Niedo, a 63-year old widow, has served as a Barangay Health Worker (BHW) in Aloguinsan, Cebu since 1995. She considers her job a challenge and a blessing despite the meager allowance they are receiving, adding that it is not just about the money but the opportunity to attend trainings that motivated her to be a BHW in the first place. 

“Once a week ra mi motrabaho pero usahay naa man mga activities ang LGUs nga kinahanglan tabangan mao motabang gihapon mi (We only work once a week but if the LGUs need assistance, we would extend our help),” Niedo added.

Niedo is one of the 9,000 BHWs in Cebu province who attended the BHW Congress on October 6, 2023, organized by the Cebu provincial government. 

She said that she joined the summit to meet other members and to know if there are new programs created for them.“Nalipay jud mi kay makakita sad mi sa ubang BHWs sa Cebu nya magkailhanay sad mi ba (We’re so happy to meet other BHWs in Cebu and to get to know each other),” said Niedo, who is also the President of the BHWs association in Zaragosa, Aloguinsan town. 

Niedo is hopeful that the Provincial Government of Cebu will give them cash incentives this December in time for the Christmas celebration. According to Niedo, BHWs in Zaragosa, Aloguinsan were only receiving P190 per month since 1992, which was increased to P350 per month in 1998.

“Among honorarium kay gamay ra jud. Maayo lang kay pag-apil ani nga summit, gitagaan mi ug travel allowance para makatambong mi (Our honorarium is really not enough. It’s good that we were given travel allowance to attend this summit),” said Niedo .

BHW Congress 

The Provincial Government of Cebu and the Community Health Workers Association of Cebu Province Inc. gathered the BHWs in the province for the BHW Congress and their 15th Anniversary Celebration on October 6, 2023 at the IEC Convention Center, Mabolo, Cebu City.

The one-day event aimed to address the current situation of the BHWs and the efforts of the local government to address their concerns.

BHWs serve as the frontline of service in the barangays, especially in terms of health care. They undergo basic training on first aid, maternal, neonatal, child-health, nutrition, family-planning and other primary care training, including community-based interventions such as immunizations, dengue prevention, and LGU assistance.

This year’s theme was “Barangay Health Workers, A Partner of the Community, a Guide for Humanity Towards a Healthy and Prosperous Society.” The Cebu Provincial Government also awarded city and municipal mayors dubbed “BHW Idols” for their outstanding support to their respective BHWs.

Magna Carta for BHWs 

Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito, BHW-Partylist Representative Angelica Co, Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, and Governor Gwendolyn “Gwen” Garcia joined the Congress. They vowed to the BHWs that they would intensify their efforts in convincing the members of the 19th Congress to pass the proposed House Bill 6557, or the proposed
Magna Carta for BHWs. 

Co said the BHWs are overworked but underpaid, and their work was labeled as a volunteer job even though they work similarly with other employed healthcare professionals.

On the other hand, Ejercito stressed the importance of government support for the BHWs, who would even go to remote areas in their communities, driven by their dedication to their chosen vocation. “Grabe yung dedication di ba? Minsan pa nga hinahabol pa ng aso (They’re very dedicated and they would sometimes be even chased by dogs),” Ejercito added.

Go thanked the BHWs, whom he called the “real heroes of our community,” as they spend their time and strength ensuring that the citizens are safe and healthy.  “Sila yung frontline natin lalo na nung pandemic kaya dapat din nating silang alagaan (They are our frontliners, especially during the pandemic, so it’s just fitting that we take care of them),” said Go.

Under the Magna Carta for BHWs, accredited BHWs are entitled to receive incentives and benefits that include a monthly honorarium of P3,000, hazard allowance (no less than P1,000 per month), transportation allowance (P1,000 per month), subsistence allowance (for meals worth P100), one-time retirement cash incentive, health benefits, insurance coverage and benefits, vacation and maternity leaves, and cash gifts.

The proposed law also grants a one-time gratuity cash incentive of not less than P10,000 “in recognition of the BHW’s loyalty and dedication and for having continuously and satisfactorily served at least 15 years.”

Currently, BHWs only receive a monthly honorarium, depending on the financial capacity of the barangay and the local government unit they serve in.

Support for BHWs

Garcia promised a P1,000 additional cash incentive to the BHWs in the province this year. Last year, the provincial government turned over P5,000, five kilos of rice, Christmas goodies, anda  calendar to the BHWs. This December, the governor said the BHWs will get P6,000 pesos, groceries, and a T-shirt. 

To further assist the BHWs, the provincial government has also increased the coverage of the accidental group insurance from P50,000 to P100,000 and a burial assistance of P10,000.

The governor also vowed to provide new sets of sphygmomanometer or blood pressure monitoring equipment and other equipment, required by the BHWs in their work. 

“Palihug lang ug report sa unsa ang kulang or guba sa inyohang barangay kay mangita mi ug paagi nga mahatagan mo (Please report to your barangays whatever it is that you need, because we in the provincial government will find ways to provide you with these equipment),” Garcia added. 

Garcia also described the BHWs as her “secret army,” adding that they would always have a soft spot in her heart as they can be relied on, especially in implementing health-related orders at the grassroots level.

Barangay Health and Nutrition Workers Day

Meanwhile, Senator Go said in his speech that he has filed Senate Bill 2399, which seeks to declare April 7 as “Barangay Health and Nutrition Workers Day.” 

"I also filed Senate Bill 2399 to give due recognition to the contribution of all barangay health and nutrition workers in the delivery of our primary health care services in the country,” he said.

The senator expressed his commitment to support and continue his fight for the rights of barangay health workers. "As we move forward, let us continue to work together, hand in hand, to improve the health and well-being of our fellow Cebuanos and Filipinos nationwide," Go said. (MYP/PIA7 Cebu)