Bill on salary hike for gov’t workers now up for Duterte signature

MANILA, Philippines — The measure providing another salary increase for government workers by 2020 has made another step closer to becoming a law after both the Senate and the House of Representatives passed their respective versions of the proposal.

“On Dec.16, 2019, the Senate passed on third and final reading Senate Bill 1219 entitled ‘An Act Modifying the Salary Schedule for Civilian Government Personnel and Authorizing the Grant of Additional Benefits and for Other Purposes’ for the Salary Standardization Law of 2019,” Sen. Joel Villanueva said during Wednesday’s plenary session.

“Copies thereof were sent to the House of Representatives requesting for concurrence. This afternoon, we received a letter from the House of Representatives informing the Senate that they also passed House Bill No. 5712 on third reading,” he added.

Villanueva, chair of the Senate labor committee, said that upon careful examination of the two measures, “we note that they are of exactly the same title and wordings provision.”

“There is, therefore, no need for bicameral conference committee as the House of Representatives is deemed to have concurred with the Senate version which was passed earlier,” he said.

“There being no disagreement between the House and Senate versions, I move that we direct the Secretariat to immediately enroll the bill,” he added.

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier certified urgent the measure increasing the salary of civilian government personnel.

READ: Duterte certifies as urgent bill on gov’t workers’ salary hike

The administration expects to implement another salary raise for government workers, including public school teachers and state nurses, by January 2020.

This proposal is included in the list of priority measures of the Duterte administration for the 18th Congress.

The pay increase would cost the government P33 billion next year.

Under the bill, a salary adjustment will be given in four tranches starting in January 2020 and upon full implementation, basic salaries will increase by a weighted average of 23.24% by 2023.

Employees under Salary Grades 10 to 15 would be granted the highest increase ranging from 20% to 30% while those under SG 23 to 33 would have the lowest increase of 8%.

/atm