House Speaker Martin Romualdez (Speaker’s office)

The House of Representatives is bent on passing a Magna Carta for Barangays, Speaker Martin Romualdez has told barangay officials who will be the primary beneficiaries of such law.

This is on top of the House-promised initiative to provide them with Social Security System (SSS) benefits and fix their term to six years, Romualdez said.

“Nais ko ring ipahayag na kahit abala tayo sa mga hakbangin na ito, hindi pa rin natin pinapabayaan ang pangarap nating magkaroon ng Magna Carta for Barangays,” Speaker Romualdez told another batch of village officials attending the Liga ng mga Barangay (LMB) 2024 National Congress at the World Trade Center (WTC) Saturday morning, Aug. 17.

(I want to declare also that even if we're busy with these goals, we have not forgotten of out dream of having a Magna Carta for Barangays.)

“Sa panukalang ito, layunin natin na gawing komprehensibo ang mga benepisyo at suporta na ibinibigay natin sa mga barangay officials,” added the leader of the 300-plus strong House of Representatives.

(Through this proposal, we want to institutionalize the comprehensive benefits and support the we will give to barangay officials.)

Last Aug. 13, Speaker Romualdez bared before Liga ng mga Barangay during their National Congress of his advocacy to have them covered by SSS at no cost to them so they could be protected with life insurance and enjoy lifetime pension upon retirement.

Romualdez also told village officials that he filed a proposal in the House of Representatives to give them a fixed term of office of six years to insulate them from electoral concerns and allow them to focus on their responsibilities to their constituents.

The Leyte 1st district congressman urged barangay officers to give their input on measures that would benefit them.

“Umaasa ako na magiging katuwang namin kayo sa pagbubuo ng batas na ito. Hinihikayat ko kayong lahat na magpasa ng mga position papers at ipagpatuloy ang ating ugnayan upang masigurong maisama ang inyong mga kahilingan sa panukalang ito,” he said.

He cited the critical role village officials play in linking their communities to the national government and in delivering public services.

“Ang Liga ng mga Barangay ay isa sa mga pinaka-mahalagang organisasyon sa ating bansa ngayon dahil sa papel na ginagampanan ninyo sa ating mga komunidad,” he said.

(The Liga ng mga Barangay is one of the most important organizations now in the country because of the role that it plays in the community.)

SSS President Rolando Macasaet says that aside from the SSS insurance coverage and pension benefits, Romualdez has sought the condonation of penalties for unpaid loans of village officials who are already SSS members.

Earlier, Romualdez told barangay officials that the House is considering the passage of a bill mandating local government units to earmark funds for the monthly SSS premium contribution of barangay officers.

He stressed that he and his colleagues in the House are fully aware of the concerns of barangay officials on their welfare and that of their families while they are serving their communities.

The Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) president had urged barangay officials to immediately register with the SSS to enable them to enjoy the benefits provided by the pension system.