The House-approved Magna Carta of Barangay Health Workers (BHW) is expected to be integrated with at least 14 Senate bills on the same issue in the coming months.
BHW party-list Rep. Angelica Natasha Co said however that the Senate has yet to come up with a consolidated substitute bill that would serve as their counterpart measure to the House-proposed proposed law for BHWs.
There are currently 14 bills on barangay health workers benefits pending in the Senate.
“When the Senate integrates the House version into their consolidated Senate bill, that would be the best-case scenario for our cause. It would hasten the process and there may be no need later for a bicameral conference. After all, there would be nothing to reconcile and so the bill skips ahead to ratification by both chambers,” Co said.
The legislative conditions for the magna carta bill are improved now “so our focus will be on convincing the Senators to support our bill and ensure its smooth sailing in the Senate,” she added.
During the 18th Congress, the proposed Magna Carta of Barangay Health Workers was unable to gain traction in the Senate for lack of material time and because of the higher priority given to pandemic response measures and economic reforms.