THE PROPOSED Magna Carta for village health workers will be refiled in the 20th Congress, a lawmaker said on Sunday, aiming to ease concerns among health workers who felt shortchanged after the bill was previously withdrawn.
The proposed measure for healthcare workers was rescinded by the House of Representatives over concerns about its funding sources, Party-list Rep. Angelica Natasha Co said.
“Prudence was the reason the House ratification of the Magna Carta of Barangay Health Workers was recalled,” she said in a statement. “The House recalled the ratified bill this time because there were lingering concerns about how and from which particular source the bill would get the funds for its implementation.”
“Rather than risk a veto later, the House exercised its discretion,” she added.
A labor leader last week said they felt cheated over the chamber’s decision to rescind the approval of the proposed measure, as village healthcare workers nationwide municipalities face stark wage disparities. Those in low-income areas earn as little as P50 per month, according to a UNI Global Union statement.
“I assure all the over 500,000 barangay healthcare workers nationwide and the over 202,000 who voted for the BHW (Barangay Health Wellness) Party-list on May 12 that the bill will not remain archived for long,” said Ms. Co.
“It will be refiled or resurrected, so to speak, and the version that will be refiled is the House-ratified Senate version, thereby preserving the time and effort invested in it,” she added. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio
