Marcos issues EO increasing salaries, benefits of gov't employees

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos has issued an order increasing the wages and granting an additional allowance to government workers, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) announced on Saturday.

Executive Order (EO) 64, signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on August 2 by authority of Marcos, is effective immediately upon its publication in the Official Gazette or a newspaper of general circulation.

“Given the prevailing economic circumstances, including the erosion of purchasing power due to inflation, there is a need to update the salaries and benefits of government personnel in order to maintain a competent, committed, agile, and healthy workforce, thereby promoting social justice, integrity, efficiency, accountability, and excellence, and ultimately translating to increased productivity and higher-quality public service,” Marcos said.

The government workers' salaries were last adjusted in 2023, when the fourth and final tranche of the modified salary schedule from the 2019 Salary Standardization Law was completed, according to the EO.

The PCO said that EO 64's updated salary schedule "applies to all civilian government personnel in the executive, legislative and judicial branches; constitutional commissions and other constitutional offices."

It also includes government-owned or controlled corporations (GOCCs) not included under Republic Act 10149, or the “GOCC Governance Act of 2011,” and EO 150 (s.2021), as well as local government units.

The implementation of the updated salary schedule will be in four tranches for National Government Agencies (NGAs):

• first tranche: January 1, 2024
• second tranche: January 1, 2025
• third tranche: January 1, 2026
• fourth trance: January 1, 2027

The EO takes effect retroactively, making the first tranche effective on January 1, 2024.

A medical allowance of P7,000 per annum will be received by qualified government employees to support their health maintenance organization (HMO) benefits.

The Department of Budget and Management is in-charge of issuing the guidelines to implement specific provisions of EO 64.