Barangay tanods, families now eligible for SAP aid

Barangay tanods and their families are now eligible for the government's social amelioration program (SAP) for low-income households affected by the COVID-19 crisis.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) announced that the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) approved their recommendation to include barangay frontliners in the financial aid program.

This decision came after DILG appealed that the nature of appointment of barangay health workers and barangay tanods should not disqualify them from receiving aid.

Previously, barangay health workers were ineligible due to existing benefits under the Magna Carta for Health Workers, but this new directive appears to override that for their families.

Barangay tanods and health workers are not regular employees and often receive only honorariums or allowances dependent on their community's financial capacity.

The Bayanihan to Heal as One Act aims to provide monthly cash subsidies ranging from P5,000 to P8,000 for two months to approximately 18 million low-income and informal sector households.