Enrile seeks reforms in salary, position of government employees

MANILA, Philippines - Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile filed yesterday a joint resolution urging President Arroyo to modify the existing compensation and position classification system of government employees to encourage civil servants to become more competitive.

At the same time, a senior administration lawmaker also wants the government to provide additional incentives to lowly-paid public school teachers assigned to far-flung areas, in an effort to help them cope with the rising cost of living and ease the effects of the global financial crisis.

In the proposed Joint Resolution No. 23 for approval by both the Senate and the House of Representatives, Enrile said reforms in the present system must be instituted to make it more effective in motivating government personnel and in invigorating public service.

If approved, the initial implementation will take effect on July 1 of this year, according to Enrile.

Enrile said the current structure of the salary schedules had caused the overlapping of salaries between salary grades, thereby resulting in salary inequities between positions.

“The grant of benefits to selected professions under special laws undermines the compensation standardization and equal protection of the laws clauses in the Constitution, distorts the standardized compensation scheme and breeds demoralization among government employees,” the Senate chief said.

The modified Compensation and Position Classification System shall apply to all positions for civilian government personnel in the executive, legislative and judicial branches, constitutional commission, state universities and colleges and government-owned or controlled corporations, the resolution stated.

Based on the resolution, the reform will cover employees of government financial institutions and local government units, whether regular, casual or contractual in nature, appointive or elective, on full-time or part-time basis.

It also provides the fund sources for the amounts necessary to implement the modified Compensation and Position Classification System, which are the following:

For national government entities, the amount shall be charged against appropriations set aside by the 2009 General Appropriations Act; for GOCCs and GFIs, from their respective corporate funds in the approved corporate operating budgets, and for LGUs, from their respective local government funds. – With Delon Porcalla