DBP employees push merit increase

MANILA, Philippines - The Development Bank of the Philippines Employees Union (DBPEU) has asked President Aquino and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to allow the bank’s management to implement a much-delayed merit increase scheme.

DBPEU national president Armin L. Ligson said they sought the help of the President to ask the Governance Commission for Government Owned and Controlled Corporations (GCG) and the DBM to approve the merit increase, the Representation and Transportation Allowance (RATA) and the Additional Compensation (AdCom)-PERA for the bank employees.

Ligson said both the DBP board headed by its chairman Jose A. Nunez and management committee headed by its president Francisco F. del Rosario Jr. are in favor of the benefits but said they still need the approval of the DBM and GCG.

The RATA is based on the position of the employee in the government financial institution, the Adcom-PERA is P2,000, and the merit increase is based on the performance rating and the income generated by the bank in a given year.

DBP has been one of the biggest contributors to the national coffers, being a government financial institution.

Last year, it declared a net income of P4 billion, resulting in a dividend to the National Government of at least P2 billion.

The DBP employees said they were dismayed when Aquino declared last May the implementation of the fourth phase of the wage hike for practically all government offices.

The DBPEU likewise said merit increases has always been practiced with the bank since 2003. In fact, the present DBM management had already approved the 2011 merit increases and other benefits last year.

Under the GCG Law, a merit increase was reasonable, justifiable and an appropriate remuneration and incentive scheme for government servants, they added.