DSWD, security agency assure guards of salary differential

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD-7) assured security guards detailed to their offices that they will receive their salary differential from November last year until March this year.

This after the owner of Café Security Agency gave the assurance in an emergency meeting with DSWD-7 officers and budget officers to discuss the issue which surfaced after a security guard from the said agency called up during the “Tingog sa mga Mamumuo” program of the Cebu Catholic Television Network (CCTN) and complained that he and other security guards assigned at the DSWD are receiving below minimum wage.

The said security guard complained that he and other security guards assigned at DSWD center in Labangon and main office in M.J. Cuenco are just receiving P305 per day instead of the minimum wage of P327 per day.

The guard just wanted to know if DSWD failed to give the P22 wage increase or if their security agency just did not give them the necessary increase.

DSWD-7 Regional Information Officer Jaybee Binghay clarified that the upgraded wage increase for these security personnel just arrived last Wednesday afternoon.

Binghay said that after they learned about the issue, DSWD-7 assistant regional director Marshall Fernandez called Ben Café, the owner of the security agency and talked to him regarding the matter.

According to Binghay, the security guards were not able to receive the wage increase since they won the bid last year and the effectivity of the increase was in the late part of last year.

“Ang status nila karon kay katong sa karaan pa gyud. Bag-o lang namo nadawat ang ilang upgraded wage last Wednesday afternoon,” Binghay said.

Binghay said that they appreciated Café’s effort and cooperation since he wanted also to clarify the issue.

During the said meeting Café promised to pay the salary differential for the past few months starting in November until March.

Binghay, on the other hand, said that DSWD-7 is also willing to pay the salary differential once the billing from the DSWD will come in.

“He (Café) assured that the security guards will be given salary differential, kita pod sa DSWD willing mi moba-yad, so long as maabot na ang salary increase with the billing from DWSD,” Binghay said.  (FREEMAN)