SEN. Bong Go on Thursday reaffirmed his support for barangay health workers (BHWs) as he attended the UNI Global Union–Philippines Liaison Council (UNI-PLC) Barangay Health Workers Island Cluster Training and Planning Session held in Quezon City.
The session brought together around 30 regional, city and municipal BHW presidents from Luzon and the Visayas for a full-day program focused on leadership development, policy discussions and collective planning to strengthen community-based health care delivery.
In his message, Go thanked the organizers and participants, and reiterated his solidarity with barangay health workers, particularly in advocating for their benefits and welfare. He described the Health Emergency Allowance (HEA) as a hard-earned benefit for health workers who served on the frontlines during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Go is among the authors and co-sponsors of Republic Act 11712, or the Public Health Emergency Benefits and Allowances for Health Care Workers Act, which institutionalized benefits such as the HEA during public health emergencies.
The training session aimed to enhance organizational capacity among BHW leaders, strengthen coordination across local government units and align advocacy priorities in support of barangay health workers and the country’s primary health care system.
Reiterating his commitment to improving the welfare of BHWs, Go said he has filed several measures in the 20th Congress to further strengthen their rights and benefits.
As vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, he pledged to continue pushing for Senate Bill (SB) 412, or the proposed Magna Carta for Barangay Health Workers, which seeks to provide just compensation, including a monthly honorarium. He also filed SB 1352, which aims to ensure just and humane working conditions for private health care workers.
Go underscored the role of barangay health workers as the backbone of the country’s primary health care system, particularly in far-flung and underserved communities.
