MALACANANG, Philippines – President Benigno S. Aquino III has endorsed to Congress a proposed bill that will increase the salaries of government workers.
Undersecretary Abigail Valte said the bill that the President recommended to Congress through the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) on Monday, is called the Salary Standardization Law of 2015 and it mandates a P226 billion increase in compensation for 1.53 million civilian, military and uniformed personnel in government, over four years.
According to the DBM, the compensation package is composed of a salary increase, a mid-year 14th-month bonus pay, and an enhanced performance-based bonus (PBB) system.
Valte noted that if it is approved, the first of four tranches would be released on January 16.
“Some of you may be asking why we are doing this now because if you remember, the last salary standardization, as contained in the joint resolution of Congress, mandates government to review the salary standardization structure of government every three years. So, noong huling naipasa po natin ito ay 2009, natapos po ang tranches noong 2012, so 2015 po talaga ang pasok doon sa timetable na ma-review na ‘yung SSL 3,” the presidential deputy spokesperson explained during a press briefing in Malacañang.
Valte explained that the four tranches amount to P225.8 billion, of which only 3.9 percent will go to government executives or those whose salary grades start from 29 to 33.
“’Yung sub-professionals will get 4.28 percent. Ang professionals ay makakakuha po ng 60.4 percent; middle managers, 8.26 percent; military and uniformed personnel, 23.16 percent. ‘Yon po ang percentages at least of increase per category,” she explained.
Valte said that at the end of the four tranches, government compensation is estimated to increase by 45 percent.
“That will bring us to around 84 percent of private sector pay. Kasama po lahat ‘yan, salary grade 1 to salary grade 33 ang pinakamataas,” she added.
“Ngayon po sa gobyerno, hanggang 13th month so makakasama na po ang mid-year na 14th-month bonus at kasama na din po dito ‘yung enhanced PBB, which will be equivalent to, I think, one month’s worth of salary. So, tataas na po din ang mga benepisyo, hindi lang po ang basic salary ng mga kasamahan sa pamahalaan, ngunit pati rin ho ang mga bonuses nila,” she further said.
Valte said the President, Vice President and Cabinet members are not included in the pay hike.
“May provision po kasi tayong sinasabi na kapag sila ang nagtaas ng sweldo, hindi po sila magbe-benefit doon sa pagtaas na ‘yon, not unless some of them end up in the government still after July 1, 2016,” Valte added.
President Aquino endorses pay hike for government employees
