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htm

REPUBLIC ACT No. 7883

AN ACT GRANTING BENEFITS AND INCENTIVES TO
ACCREDIT BARANGAY HEALTH WORKERS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Section 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Barangay Health Workers’ Benefits
and Incentives Act of 1995.”

Sec. 2. Statement of Policy. - The state shall protect and promote the right to health of the
people and to provide conditions of health empowerment, where each individual has access to
information and services that will bring about health and well being. The Primary Health Care
Approach is recognized as the major strategy towards health empowerment, emphasizing the
need to provide accessible and acceptable health services through the participatory strategies
such as health education, training of barangay health workers, community building and
organizing. Toward this end, this Act shall provide incentives to communities an act as
frontliners in the Primary Health Care approach. chan robles virtual law library

The government and all its instrumentalities shall also recognized the rights of barangay health
workers to organize themselves, to strengthen and systematize their services to their
community; and to make a venue for sharing their experiences and for recommending policies
and guidelines for the promotion, maintenance and advancement of their activities and
services.

Sec. 3. Definition. - The term “barangay health workers” refers to a person who has
undergone training programs under any accredited government and non-government
organization and who voluntarily renders primarily health care services in the community after
having been accredited to function as such by the local health board in accordance with the
guidelines promulgated by the Department of Health (DOH).

Sec. 4. Registration. - In order of barangay health workers to be entitled to benefits and

incentives provided under this Act, they shall register with the Local Health Board, through the
provincial health boards in the case of municipalities, shall furnish a copy of such registry to
the DOH, which is hereby mandated to maintain a national register of barangay health workers.
The accredited barangay health workers shall be given appropriate proof of said accreditation.

Sec. 5. Number of Barangay Health Workers. - The DOH shall determine the ideal ratio of
barangay health workers to the number of households; Provided, that the total number of
barangay health workers nationwide shall not exceed one percent (1%) of the total population.
chan robles virtual law library

Sec. 6. Incentives and Benefits. - In recognition of their services, all accredited barangay
health workers who are actively and regularly performing their duties shall be entitled to the
following incentives and benefits:

(a) Hazard Allowance. - Volunteer barangay health workers in rural and urban areas,
exposed to situation, conditions or factors in the work environment or place where
foreseeable but unavoidable danger or risks exist which adversely endanger his health
or life and/or increase the risk of producing adverse effect on his person in the
exercise of his duties, to be validated by the proper authorities, shall be entitled to
hazard allowance in an amount to be determined by the local health board and the
local peace and order council of the local government unit concerned.

(b) Subsistence Allowance. - Barangay health workers who render service within the
premise of isolated barangay health stations in order to make their services available
at any and all times shall be entitled to subsistence allowance equivalent to the meals
they take in the course of their duty, which shall be computed in accordance with
prevailing circumstances as determined by the local government unit concerned.

(1) educational programs which shall recognize years of primary health care
service as credits to higher education in institutions with stepladder
curricula that will entitle barangay health care workers to upgrade their

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BARANGAY HEALTH WORKERS' BENEFITS AND INCENTIVE... http://www.chanrobles.com/republicactno7883.htm

curricula that will entitle barangay health care workers to upgrade their
skills and knowledge for community work or to pursue further training as
midwives, pharmacists, nurse or doctors:

(2) continuing education, study and exposure tours, training, grants, field
immersion, scholarships;

(3) scholarships benefits in the form of tuition fees in state colleges to be

granted to one child of every barangay health worker who will not be able to
take advantage of the above programs.

(4) Special training programs such as those on traditional medicine, disaster

preparedness and other programs that address emergent community health
problems and issues.

(c) Civil Service Eligibility. – A second grade eligibility shall be granted to barangay
health workers who have rendered five years continuous service as such: Provided,
That should the barangay health workers become a regular employee of the
government, the total numbers of years served as barangay health worker shall be
credited to his/her service in computing retirement benefits.chan robles virtual law
library

(d) Free Legal Services. - Legal representation and consultation services for barangay
health workers shall be immediately provided by the Public Attorney’s office in cases
of coercion, interference, and in other civil and criminal cases filed by or against
barangay health workers arising out of or in connection with the performance of their
duties as such.

(e) Preferential Access to Loan. - The DOH in coordination with other concerned
government agencies shall provide, within one hundred eighty (180) days after the
effectivity of this Act, a mechanism to access to loan services by organized health
workers. The agencies providing loan services will set aside one percent (1%) of their
loanable funds for organized barangay health worker groups that have community
based income generating projects in support of health programs or activities.

Sec. 7. Review by the Local Health Board. - Every incentive or benefit for barangay health
worker requiring expenditure of local funds shall be reviewed and approved by the local health
board to ensure that only the deserving barangay health workers get the same.

Sec. 8. Rules and Regulation. - The Department of Health, in cooperation with the
Department of Education, Culture and Sports, the Department of Interior and Local
Government, the Department of Justice, the Civil Service Commission, and other concerned
government agencies and non-government organizations, shall formulate, within one hundred
eighty days (180) from its effectivity, the rules and regulation necessary yo implement this
Act. chan robles virtual law library

Sec. 9. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is declared invalid, the remainder of
any provision hereof not affected thereby shall remain in force and effect.

Sec. 10. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, executive orders, and other presidential
issuances which are inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed, amended or modified
accordingly.

Sec. 11. Effectivity. - This Act take effect fifteen days (15) after its publication in at least two
(2) national newspapers of general circulation.

Approved: February 20, 1995

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