A Provincial Board (PB) Member on Tuesday proposed the allotment of funds for subsidies of the over 11,000 barangay tanods (village watchmen) in Bohol.

PB Member Nathaniel Binlod, in a privileged speech during the legislative body’s regular session, said barangay tanods are “frontliners” who deserve financial and rice assistance from the Provincial Government of Bohol.

The first-term lawmaker added that barangay health and daycare workers and nutritional scholars already have subsidies from the provincial government.

“Among the said frontliners, only the barangay tanods do not have subsidy from the provincial governmet, unlike the other mentioned frontliners in the barangay who are receiving subsidy,” said Binlod.

Tanods in the province only receive a small honorarium from the barangays they serve, while a few get subsidies from the municipal government.

“In recognition of the efforts and services of the Barangay Tanods, it is timely that they deserve to have a subsidy program coming from the provincial government,” said Bindlod. “As a matter of fact, there are som LGUs that do not have a subsidy program for their barangay tanods.”

During the session, Binlod referred the proposed subsidy program to the Committee on Peace and Order in collaboration with the Committee on Finance, Budget and Appropriations for further study and recommendations. (AD)