Angara wants hazard pay hike for military

Senator Sonny Angara on Friday pressed for the passage of a measure that would further raise the hazard pay of all personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) assigned in conflict areas.

Angara reiterated his call for the immediate passage of Senate Bill 955 which he filed amid President Rodrigo Duterte’s order to go full force against the Abu Sayyaf Group.

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“Matagal na po nating ipinapanawagan na taasan na sana ang hazard pay ng ating mga sundalo dahil talagang napakaliit ng halagang P390 kada buwan kung araw-araw ay nahaharap ang ating libu-libong militar sa matinding panganib,” he said in a statement.

(We have long been lobbying to raise the hazard pay for our soldiers because the amount of P390 a month is truly meager if every day our thousands of military men face grave danger.)

Angara said his bill would increase the AFP’s hazard pay to 25 percent of their base pay.

If passed into law, he said, the hazard pay of a Private First Class, whose monthly base pay is P15,592, would be raised from P390 to P3,898.

He said the last hazard pay hike of all military and uniformed personnel was implemented in February this year under Executive Order 201 — from P240 to P390 in 2016, P540 by 2017, P690 by 2018, and P840 by 2019.

However, Angara believes that the hazard pay hikes were still not enough.

“Kahit katataas lamang po nito, hindi pa rin ito sapat upang mapunan ang kanilang mga pangangailangan at matumbasan ang kanilang mga sakripisyo at pagbubuwis-buhay,” he said.

(Even if the hazard pay has been recently raised, this is still not enough to address their needs and to make up for their sacrifices and for risking their lives.)

Aside from increasing the military’s hazard pay, the senator has also filed another bill that would create a Military Dependents Welfare Office and institutionalize and increase education, health and housing benefits for military dependents.

“The government should also prioritize providing more benefits for the families and loved ones of our gallant soldiers given their vital role in the protection of our country’s integrity,” Angara said. CDG/rga