DBM bares higher clothing allowance for government workers

MANILA, Philippines - Here’s a bit of good news for government employees.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) announced yesterday that state workers would soon enjoy a higher clothing allowance starting this year.

Budget Secretary Florencio Abad said government employees would get an additional P1,000 this year for their uniform expenses, on top of the P4,000 allowance appropriated last year.

“The increase in the uniform or clothing allowance for government employees affirms the Aquino administration’s commitment to provide adequate financial support to our country’s public servants. By scaling up this year’s allowance to P1.28 billion, we help minimize the financial burden on government employees and give them more leg room to comply with the dress codes of their respective offices,”Abad said in a statement.

Employees’ regular clothing allowance will come from the comprehensive allotment under personal services, while the additional P1,000 will come from the Miscellaneous Personnel Benefits Funds (MPBF) under the 2012 National Budget.

The budget department had announced the increase in a circular released last month.

“Agency heads need to submit their Budget Accountability Reports before they can secure the funds required to support the clothing allowance increase. This will allow us to assess and evaluate their budget requirements and, consequently, make the proper releases to support their employees’ clothing expenses,” Abad said.

According to the circular, the respective government agencies may procure the uniforms through the standard bidding process.

“The grant may also come in the form of cash for incumbents of executive positions who are not required to wear a prescribed uniform or are tasked to secure their own individual uniforms,” the budget department also said.