AUGMENTATION. Village personnel help the police impose a localized lockdown in Camarin, Caloocan City at the height of coronavirus-related restrictions in 2021. Several measures have been filed in Congress to provide a standard salary rate and other benefits for village officials. (PNA photo by Ben Briones) MANILA - It's about time that the government recognizes the significant contributions of barangay (village) officials, personnel and volunteers through a standardized position classification and compensation scheme. Senator Raffy Tulfo filed Senate Bill 1696 or the Magna Carta for Barangay Officials, Personnel and Volunteer Workers, to ensure village employees properly are properly compensated and granted benefits. "Ilan na sa mga tanod ang napabalitang nasaktan, nadisgrasya at nagbuwis ng buhay sa tawag ng tungkulin. Ilan na rin sa mga barangay health worker ang nagbuwis din ng buhay noong panahon ng pandemya. Dahil sa pagganap nila sa kanilang tungkulin, sila ay napasama sa mga naging biktima ng Covid-19 (A number of our village personnel get injured, attacked and killed. Some health workers also died due to Covid-19 while performing their duties)," Tulfo said in a statement on Friday. The measure requires that village workers have minimum and maximum salary rates; are covered by the Government Service Insurance System, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation and Home Development Mutual (Pag-IBIG) Fund; and are entitled to hazard allowance, death and burial benefits, and the like. The bill likewise aims to provide preferential treatment for barangay officers in the conferment of civil service eligibility and in government appointments. Senator Christopher Go filed a similar bill in 2019 to enable village and Sangguniang Kabataan (youth) officials to not only receive honoraria but also to enjoy the salary, hazard pay and other benefits of their fellow government employees. (PNA) }