‘House to approve state workers’ pay hike before yearend’

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives intends to approve the proposed new round of salary increase for government officials and employees before the end of the year, Majority Leader Martin Romualdez said yesterday.

“We are eyeing the passage of common legislative measures before Congress adjourns for the Christmas holidays in December,” he said.

He was referring to proposed laws leaders of the House and the Senate and the Duterte administration had agreed to prioritize in their monthly consultations in August and September. Another meeting is scheduled this month.

Romualdez said aside from the proposed P4.1-trillion national budget for next year, the priority measures include the planned new pay hike for more than 1.8 million government personnel, from President Duterte down to the lowest-paid clerk or janitor.

“We will work very hard to approve this and ensure funding for it,” he said.

Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab, who is appropriations committee chairman, said the proposed budget for next year includes P31 billion for the salary increase.

He said the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) is now drafting the bill for the adjustment.

“We expect to receive it when we reconvene next month,” he said.

Deputy Speakers Mikee Romero of 1-Pacman and Raneo Abu of Batangas proposed that rank-and-file personnel be given priority in the salary adjustment.

“We should allocate a big part of the compensation adjustment budget to our lowly employees like clerks, teachers and nurses. Together, they comprise the bulk of our government workforce,” Romero said.

He also called on the DBM to fund the higher salary for government nurses following the Supreme Court ruling that these health workers are entitled to Salary Grade 15 pay, which is about P30,000 a month.

“Let us provide the necessary funds. We owe it to them. In fact, they should have been receiving Salary Grade (SG) 15 compensation since 2002, when Congress enacted the Philippine Nursing Act,” he said.

At the same time, Romero urged the Department of Health to request DBM for funds for the salary increase of nurses.

The Supreme Court has ruled that government nurses are entitled to SG 15 pay under the law even though the DBM, upon authority by Congress, downgraded their salary to SG 11 or about P21,000 a month.

The tribunal handed down the ruling upon petition by party-list group Ang Nars which, unfortunately for nurses, failed to win a congressional seat in last May’s elections.

However, several lawmakers have taken up the cudgels for nurses.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon urged the Senate committee on finance to look for sources to fund the increase in the salaries of government nurses.

Drilon identified three possible funding sources: the Miscellaneous Personnel Benefits Fund (MPBF), the proposed budget for the 2020 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections and some unutilized revenues from the Sin Tax law.

“We owe it to our nurses who provide patients 24/7 health care in overcrowded government hospitals, which sometimes comes at the expense of their own health and wellbeing,” he said. – With Cecille Suerte Felipe