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MANILA - Barangay officials should be regular government employees who receive monthly salaries and benefits, a lawmaker said Friday.

The officials are "highly dependent" on the honoraria based on their barangay's income in the current set-up, said Davao City Rep. Karlo Nograles, adding that a barangay chairman in his district might only be earning about P4,000.

"Since we’re always talking about the barangay officials being our first line of service...I think it’s time that we make these barangay officials sweldado na rin and regular government employees with all benefits that they deserve," he told ANC's Headstart.

"That way, we professionalize the barangay officials, their work. Bigyan natin ng dignidad ang trabaho nila," he said.

(That way, we professionalize the barangay officials, their work. Let's give dignity to their work.)

Under his proposal, the barangay chairman would earn as much as a Sangguniang Bayan councilor.

According to a circular from the Department of Budget and Management, a Sangguniang Bayan member within Metro Manila is entitled to a salary grade of 25, and salary grade of 24 if outside the capital.

Nograles proposed that local government units shoulder this expense, but said he is open to negotiating this as it might be met with resistance.