Philippine House Works on Comprehensive ‘Magna Carta for Barangays’

MANILA — Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez of the House of Representatives announced new initiatives aimed at improving the welfare of barangay officials across the Philippines, including the development of a ‘Magna Carta for Barangays’.

According to Philippines News Agency, the House is not only pushing to provide Social Security System (SSS) benefits to barangay officials and to fix their term at six years, but it is also diligently working on the passage of a comprehensive Magna Carta for Barangays. This announcement was made during his address to the Liga ng mga Barangay (LNB) sa Pilipinas on August 13, highlighting ongoing efforts to insulate village officials from electoral pressures and enable them to better serve their communities.

The Magna Carta aims to establish a robust framework of benefits and support for barangay officials. Romualdez urged local leaders to actively participate in the legislative process by submitting position papers and maintaining open communication with lawmakers to ensure their needs are adequately addressed in the proposed law.

Further emphasizing the importance of barangay officials in connecting communities with the national government and ensuring the delivery of public services, Romualdez reassured them of the House’s commitment to their welfare and that of their families.

In earlier statements, Romualdez encouraged barangay officials to register with the SSS to access benefits provided by the pension system. He also discussed legislative efforts to mandate local government units to fund the monthly SSS premium contributions of barangay officers and proposed the condonation of penalties for unpaid loans of village officials who are SSS members, according to SSS President Rolando Macasaet.