Puno okays pension hike for jailguards, firemen

MANILA, Philippines – Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno has ordered the release of P146.64 million representing the pension increases of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) and Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP)’s retired uniformed personnel.

Puno said the pension hikes, which will be retroactive to Jan. 1 this year, represent the adjustments based on the prevailing base pay of the retirees’ counterparts in the active service.

“The new pension schedule for regular retirees represent the third and final adjustment of their pensions, which now level the basic pay received by their counterparts in the active service,” Puno said.

The DILG chief said the adjustments in the pension pay cover the regular pensioners of the BFP and BJMP as well as those who have retired from the service under Republic Act 1616.

RA 1616 is a Government Service Insurance System (GSIS)-assisted retirement law that was enacted prior to the creation of an approved Retirement and Benefits Separation System as required under the law reorganizing the DILG (RA 6975).

This pension schedule for RA 1616 retirees is equivalent to the first tranche adjustment granted to regular pensioners in 2006.

In a circular, Puno said P146.64 million, or the necessary amount to implement the pension adjustments, will be charged against the appropriations provided under the 2008 national budget.

For the BFP, the amount of P45.659 million was allocated for the pension adjustments of its regular pensioners, and another P56.956 million for RA 1616 retirees.

The amount of P34.628 million was allotted for the pension adjustments of regular pensioners of the BJMP and P9.407 million more for its RA 1616 retirees.

Puno said that the monthly pension rates for regular retirees of the BFP and BJMP with the rank of Director will be adjusted to P21,090 from the current P19,381.

Those who retired with the rank of Chief Superintendent will get a monthly pension of P20,279 from the previous rate of P18,687, while those with the rank of Senior Superintendent will now get P19,499 from the previous P17,835.

Those who retired with the rank of Superintendent will get P18,749 from P17,113; Chief Inspector, P18,028 from P16,464; Senior Inspector, P17,334 from P15,828; and Inspector, P16,667 from P15,263.

Those who retired with the rank of Fire/Jail Senior Officer IV will now get the higher monthly rate of P14,538; Senior Officer III, P13,715; Senior Officer II, P12,938; Senior Officer I, P12,206; Officer III, P10,863; Officer II, P9,668; and Officer I, P8,605.

For RA 1616 retirees, those with the rank of Director will get P18,355; Chief Superintendent, P17,731; Senior Superintendent, P16,836;  Superintendent, P16,131, Chief Inspector, P15,526; Senior Inspector, P14,924; Inspector, P14,421; Senior Officer IV, P12,702; Senior Officer III, P11,937; Senior Officer II, P11.112; Senior Officer I, P10,296; Officer III, P8,456; Officer II, P7,108; and Officer I, P6,341.