Government workers in Central Luzon demand P3,000 pay hike

SAN FERNANDO CITY, Pampanga — Citing the effects of the expanded value-added tax (EVAT) on prices of basic commodities, leaders of public school teachers and other government employees in Central Luzon yesterday issued an appeal for a P3,000 across-the-board salary increase.

In a joint statement, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT), Confederation for Unity, Recognition and Advancement of Government Employees (Courage) and Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) in the region issued an appeal to Congress "to increase the basic pay of public servants instead of merely increasing their benefit" even as they claim partial victory in the move of Malacañang and Congress to grant them P1,000 additional allowance.

They also asked the legislature to pass House Bill No. 5094 which would appropriate P25 billion to partially fund the staggered payment of back cost of living allowances (COLA) which the Supreme Court ordered to be paid to government workers.

Fabian Hallig, ACT secretary-general for Central Luzon, said the P1,000 increase approved by Congress "is not enough given the rising cost of living because of the additional VAT imposition and unrestrained increases in prices of oil and public utilities."

"We deserve to be granted a P3,000 across-the-board salary increase. Our lawmakers should convert the P1,000 additional allowance into a salary increase and pass a supplementary bill for P2,000 more," he said.

Joey Pring, Courage vice president for Central Luzon, said the allowance increase "is a partial victory in the long-time struggle of government employees for salary increase", but referred to the increase as "a mere token grant."

Pring also called on Central Luzon congressmen to support House Bill 5094 to assure all government employees payment of their back COLA. The proposed measure was filed the other week by Bayan Muna Rep. Teodoro Casino who said that the national government owes its employees at least P153 billion in back COLA covering the period 1989 to1999.

Last year, the Supreme Court ruled in an en banc decision in the case of Philippine Ports Authority employees vs. Commission on Audit that government employees are entitled to back pay of their COLA which the government abolished in 1989.

The high court said the abolition was invalid for failure of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to publish it in the official gazette.