House OKs pay hike for soldiers, cops on 2nd reading

A measure raising the base pay of uniformed personnel has been approved on second reading at the House of Representatives in its Wednesday session.

This meant that in the House, the last step for House Joint Resolution No. 18 would be to secure the majority vote during the third and final reading.

The proposed measure would apply to all military personnel under the Department of National Defense and uniformed personnel under the Department of the Interior and Local Government, the Philippine Coast Guard and the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority.

The modified base pay schedule for lower-ranked military and uniformed personnel — from candidate soldier to chief master sergeant and their equivalent ranks in the civilian agencies — will be fully implemented beginning Jan. 1, 2018.

The new monthly rates would now range from P18,587 for candidate soldier to P34,761 for chief master sergeant.

The resolution also provided for a monthly hazard pay of P540.  —Vince F. Nonato