BAGUIO CITY – The City Council approved on first reading a proposed ordinance increasing the monthly compensation of the day care workers in the city for them to be able to cope with the continuous increase in the prices of basic commodities triggered by the uncontrollable oil prices in the world market.
The ordinance authored by Councilor Leandro B. Yangot, Jr. stated the local legislative measure shall be known as an ordinance increasing the monthly compensation of the day care workers in the city and providing rules for other purposes.
Under the proposed ordinance, Yangot underscored the subsidized day care workers of the city shall be deemed employees of the city and shall be paid their regular salaries under existing appropriations of the local government.
Yangot added the monthly salary of the subsidized day care workers should continuously increase from the original P4,000 to P8,000, hence, subsidized day care workers will be further entitled to benefits and allowances to which regular employees are entitled.
On the other hand, the monthly participation fee of the parents shall not exceed the amount of P20 per month which will be utilized exclusively for the purchase and procurement of teaching materials only.
Yangot claimed the barangay day care workers in the city have an indispensable capacity in assisting the children in their development considering that they are handling children who are in the critical stages of their growth.
He said the local government is obligated to help in the effective and efficient delivery of basic and necessary services to the citizens of the city, thus, the need for the city to make a decision on whether or not to significantly increase the monthly stipend given to day care workers in recognition of their roles as second parents of their children while enrolled in the barangay day care center.
Based on available records of the City Social Welfare and Development Office, there are already 79 day care workers in the different parts of the city wherein 12 of whom are regular employees of the local government and they are receiving a salary of at least P14,000 each while the 67 others subsidized day care workers from the city wherein they are receiving P4,000 monthly stipend.
According to him, the 79 day care workers are reportedly qualified and have the same qualifications in doing the same duties and responsibilities under the same terms and conditions, thus, the need for the local government to increase the stipend of the remaining 67 subsidized workers so that they will be receiving similar stipends compared to the 12 regular day care works.
He explained he parents of the children enrolled in the different day care centers around the city should be relieved from the obligation in paying the parent’s participation fee of P100 by reducing the amount to be used in purchasing teaching materials among others that would result to more money of the parents which they could use for their daily needs, especially when attending to the needs of their children in school.
By Dexter A. See
