1,400 baragay workers get Capitol aid

CEBU, Philippines — Around 1,400 frontline barangay service workers and barangay tanods from Camotes Islands in northern Cebu have received their cash incentives from the provincial government yesterday.

Barangay animal health aides (BAHA) daycare workers, barangay nutrition scholars (BNS), barangay health workers (BWH) and barangay tanods hailing from the municipalities of Pilar, Poro, San Francisco and Tudela flocked to the Tudela Evacuation Center to claim their honoraria.

Barangay tanods received P3,000, while the frontline service workers received P4,000 as “gifts” from the province for their volunteer service offered to their respective barangays.

These frontline workers work on a purely voluntary basis, which means they have no standardized monthly salary from barangays. Some receive honorarium but the amount is solely dependent on what the respective barangays can afford.

In her speech to the volunteer workers, Governor Gwendolyn Garcia reiterated the province’s prioritization on infrastructure.

“Sa atong 2020 budget, nag-focus ta sa infrastructure. Dalan, patubig, kuryente, flood control, improvement sa existing structures,” Garcia said.

She announced that the provincial government has allocated P5 million worth of projects per town in line with the enumerated priority projects.

Also present during the distribution were 5th District Congressman Vincent Franco “Duke” Frasco, and 5th District Board Members Miguel Magpale and Red Duterte.

The cash gifts were supposed to be given during the general assembly of barangay frontline workers at the Minglanilla Sports Complex on December 18, however, Garcia did not wish for them to waste money on fare.

Aside from the cash gifts, they also received new shirts to serve as their uniforms.  KQD (FREEMAN)