Capitol earmarks P80M for workers’ salary hike

CEBU, Philippines - Capitol employees are expected to receive an adjustment to their salary anytime soon following the executive order of President Benigno Aquino III granting salary increase to all government workers.

Provincial budget offi-cer Danilo Rodas yesterday made the announcement to more than a thousand Capitol employees during the flag raising ceremony.

In an interview, Rodas said they are now in the processing stage, such as evaluating the province’s allocation for the first tranche of the salary increase, which would take around two weeks.

The Capitol had set aside P80 million in anticipation of any salary increase this year.

“Naa nay authority sa PB, giapil man nato sa annual budget and provision for salary increases and authorizing the governor to implement whatever salary increases,” Rodas said.

He added that the province would have to submit a supplemental budget in the event the allocation is insufficient.

Over 1,500 regular and casual employees of the Capitol will benefit from the salary adjustment.

Rodas explained that the scheme will raise the minimum salary for Salary Grade 1, or administrative aide, from P9,000 to at least P11,000  from  2016 to 2019.

He said that the basic salary of the Capitol employees will rise by an average of 12.2 percent over a four-year period. The governor, who tops the salary ladder at SG 30, will rise by 22 percent, he added.

The first tranche will be applied retroactively effective January 1, 2016. The succeeding tranches will be implemented every January 1 until 2019. 

President Aquino earlier signed EO 201 as an interim measure to implement the first tranche of the proposed Salary Standardization Law of 2015.

The executive order modifies the salary schedule for civilian government personnel and authorizes the grant of additional benefits for both civilian and military and uniformed personnel.

SSL4 intends to increase the take-home pay of about 1.6 million government workers by an average of 27 percent.

The measure also introduces an improved set of allowances and benefits, such as 14th month pay, a mid-year bonus equivalent to one month’s basic salary.  (FREEMAN)