Social assistance for barangay workers set

The YSAP shall be charged against the village’s additional funds. #barangaysocialassistance

A barangay health worker immunizes a baby. (Bgy Kauswagan)

President Rodrigo Duterte has signed an executive order enjoining all Sangguniang Barangays (SB) to establish a Yuletide Social Assistance Program (YSAP) for all barangays and functionaries for fiscal year 2019.

Under Executive Order No. 99 signed by the President on Friday, 6 December, all SB are enjoined to enact their respective ordinances establishing an YSAP for 2019 for the economic empowerment of barangay officials and functionaries, including but not limited to the punong barangay, barangay secretary, barangay treasurer, barangay tanod, members of the Lupong Tagapamayapa, and other workers/personnel appointed, designated, or engaged by the barangay.

The YSAP shall be charged against the village’s additional funds subject to Sections 321 and 323 of the Local Government Code, as well as existing budgeting, accounting and auditing laws, rules and regulations.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) shall jointly issue the appropriate guidelines to effectively carry out and implement the order. The guidelines shall include, among others, the components of the YSAP and the specific criteria and parameters for the determination of the barangay officials and functionaries qualified for social assistance.

For the succeeding years, the DILG, in consultation with the DBM shall study and propose measures for the provision of social assistance to qualified barangay officials and functionaries, as well as identify funding sources against which said social assistance may be charged.

Under Section 391 of the Local Government Code, the SB may enact ordinances to promote the general welfare of the inhabitants therein, as well as enact annual and supplemental budgets in accordance with the Code.