Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto III. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines – A bill mandating the 14th month pay for all government and non-government employees every year has been filed at the Senate.
Senate Bill 1645 filed by Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto III provides that all government and non-government rank and file employees should be entitled to 14th month pay every year.
“The 13th month pay shall be paid not later than June 14th and the 14th month pay shall be paid not later than December 24th of every year provided however that the frequency of payment of this monetary benefits may be the subject of agreement between employer and employee or any recognized/ collective bargaining agent of employees, “ the bill said.
“The minimum amount of the 14th month pay shall not be less than 1/ 12 of the total basic salary earned by the employee within the calendar year,” it further said.
In filing the bill, Sotto recognized the “indispensable need” to provide Filipino laborers – both from the public and private sectors – additional 14th month pay.
“The recent P10 increase in the minimum wage is too small. Wages have invisibly decreased due to the rise in prices of basic commodities. Improved business -earnings have not cascaded on its own. The 13th month pay is gobbled up by Christmas expenses. We need extra earnings in the middle of the year to help in school and medical expenses,” he said in his explanatory note in the bill.
“Health and education needs of the ordinary Filipino must be assisted by our government. This will make the maxim attributed to President Ramon Magsaysay become a reality – ‘Those who have less in life should have more in law,’” Sotto added.