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JV Ejercito disappointed at House's last minute reversal on barangay health workers bill
JV Ejercito disappointed at House's last minute reversal on barangay health workers bill
Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito said he is disappointed over the House of Representatives’ withdrawal of its adoption of Senate Bill No. 2838, or the Magna Carta for Barangay Health Workers (BHW).
The Senate passed the BHW bill on third and final reading in February, and the House subsequently adopted the Senate version of the measure.
Ejercito said he expected the measure to be signed into law only for it to be rescinded during the last week of the 19th Congress. The Senate adjourned its sessions on Wednesday, June 11.
“For the information of all our beloved BHWs, we would like to express our sadness and disappointment with this current development,” Ejercito said in a privilege speech during the plenary session on Wednesday.
“We were expecting that this bill which aims to acknowledge and recognize the hard work and dedication of our unsung heroes was just at the doorsteps of Malacañang, waiting to be signed into law,”
“Sa kasamaang palad po, sa pagbawi ng mga kasamahan natin mula sa HOR (House of Representatives) ng kanilang acceptance ng Senate version, ito ay mistulang hakbang paatras para sa tuluyang pagsasabatas ng panukala nating ito (Unfortunately, with our colleagues from the HOR withdrawing their acceptance of the Senate version, this seems like a step backwards for the complete enactment of the bill),” he added.
Ejercito sought the passage of the measure “to justly compensate” the service of BHWs “to our people.”
Nevertheless, the lawmaker assured barangay health workers that the Senate has always been aware, sensitive, and concerned about their struggles, especially as frontliners during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Sa bahagi po ng Senado, ginawa na po namin ang aming tungkulin ngunit makakaasa po kayo na patuloy kaming nakasuporta sa lahat ng ating BHWs (On the part of the Senate, we have done our duty but you can be confident that we will continue to support all our BHWs),” he said.
“Maghihintay kami sa susunod na mga hakbang na maaaring gawin ng HOR para umusad ang bill nating ito na handog natin sa ating mga bayaning BHWs (We will await the next steps that the HOR can take to move forward with this bill that we dedicate to our heroic BHWs),” Ejercito stressed.