Barangay officials warned on hiring health workers

TAGBILARAN CITY, Philippines  — Governor Edgar Chatto recently warned barangay chairmen of the 1,109 villages in Bohol to do away with politics in hiring barangay health workers (BHWs).

This came following the findings of the health summit technical working group that newly installed barangay chairmen, after they took office last December, have been appointing neophyte BHWs replacing the existing skilled and trained ones.

Chatto and Loay town Mayor Rosemarie Lim-Imboy, president of the League of Municipalities Philippines (Bohol), who both graced the TWG plenary, said this practice would derail the health services because another training would be conducted again to equip the new hired workers with the needed skills.

Some of the BHWs are receiving at least P200 per month, while others are getting P1,000 per month. This so-called "honorarium" cap largely depends on the income of a barangay.