Compulsory GSIS membership for barangay officials sought

Barangay officials, being at the frontline of government services deserve to benefit

from the coverage of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), Lagunas veteran
lawmaker declared
!In s"ite of our barangay officials services to the general "ublic, it is sad, almost
shocking, to learn that they are not com"ulsorily covered by the GSIS law solely because
they do not have fi#ed monthly com"ensation,$ %e" &oa'uin ( )hi"eco, &r "ointed out
*on )hi"eco is author of *B +,-. entitled !/n /ct further amending 0residential
1ecree 2o 33+4, as amended, e#"anding and increasing the coverage and benefits of the
Government Service Insurance System to include elected and a""ointed barangay
officials, and for other "ur"oses$
/rguing for his "ro"osed amendments to the GSIS law, )hi"eco "ointed out that
during calamities, both natural and man5made, which recently buffeted the country, !our
barangay leaders have been hailed as the 6first res"onders in the chaotic aftermath when
the national government and civic organi7ations could not seem to get their acts together$
!In our remote communities, the national government is well5nigh invisible and the
only ac'uaintance about government that our "eo"le have is their own village leaders,$
)hi"eco said
)hi"eco, however clarified that the "ro"osed com"ulsory coverage of barangay
leaders is not a mere grant, a bonus, or a free ride
!8hey will still be re'uired to remit their "ersonal contributions to en9oy the
benefits of our government insurance system *owever, the counter"art government
contributions to finance this initiative may be huge considering the total number of
barangay officials nationwide,$ he said
8aking into consideration the overall situation, )hi"eco said that with the
substantial budgetary re'uirements for their com"ulsory coverage notwithstanding, !it is
believed that it is an act of 9ustice to accord e'ual treatment to our barangay leaders as that
we accord to other "ublic servants$
!8hey deserve our res"ect as well as our su""ort inasmuch as the barangay is the
basic "olitical unit of government in our country,$ the author stressed
:nder *B +,-., barangay officials GSIS contribution !shall be governed by the
aggregate amount of the honoraria, allowances and such other emoluments as may be
NR # 3575B
AUG 31, 2014
authori7ed by law or barangay, munici"al or city ordinance in accordance with the
"rovisions of %/ ;34., as amended, otherwise known as the Local Government )ode of
3<<3$
8he GSIS, in consultation and coordination with the 1e"artment of Interior and
Local Government (1ILG) and the League re"resenting barangay ca"tains and officials,
shall issue the necessary rules and regulations to im"lement the "rovisions of the "ro"osed
statute
8he rules and regulations shall cover the rate of "remiums and the manner of its
"ayment, the e#tent of insurance coverage, the contributions to be collected from barangay
officials concerned and the "ossible contributions of "rovinces, cities and munici"alities
*B +,-. has been referred by "lenary to the )ommittee on Government =nter"rises
and 0rivati7ation chaired by %e" &esus 2 Sacdalan for a""ro"riate consideration and
action (->) dpt