Recto says exodus of Pagasa personnel a serious matter

MANILA, Philippines - The exodus of experienced weathermen from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) should be taken seriously and addressed by the national government, Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said yesterday.

Reacting to reports of yet another veteran weather forecaster leaving the PAGASA for a higher-paying job abroad, Recto said the country could end up with a shortage of these technical experts, not only at the weather bureau but other agencies as well.

“At the rate weather forecasters are leaving the Philippine area of responsibility, we may end up with no one alarming us that a typhoon is coming. If the problem is in the delay of the release of the benefits of PAGASA people, then I am confident that the DBM (Department of Budget and Management), being the main preacher of the gospel against red tape, will resolve it soonest,” Recto said in a statement.

PAGASA recently lost Ricky Fabregas, another one of its veteran weather forecasters. He decided to take a job in Congo after 16 years of service in the government.

It was revealed that Fabregas would be earning around P100,000 a month in the African nation, a significant jump from the P20,000 he was receiving from PAGASA.

Apart from the low salaries they receive, the weathermen were complaining about the delays in the release of the benefits promised them under Republic Act 8439 or the Magna Carta for Science and Technology.

Recto said he was curious why there was such a complaint considering the current year’s national budget contains a provision on the Magna Carta for Science and Technology amounting to P183.7 million.

This is on top of the P51.8-million hazard pay also contained in the 2013 national budget that they are entitled to receive.

Recto said the total allocation for hazard pay will increase to P832 million next year while the Magna Carta for Science and Technology benefits would go up to P224.6 million.

He added there would also be four new hazard and hardship allowances in the proposed P2.268-trillion national budget for 2014, which civilian employees are entitled to receive.

These are the hazard duty pay amounting to P1.3 billion; high-risk duty pay, P893,000; hazardous duty pay, P586 million; and the special hardship allowance, P1.17 billion.

“I think the restructuring and right-sizing of the hazard pay allocations stem from the redefinition of what constitutes hazard, and the creation of different shades of hazard pay should be welcomed by those in high-risk jobs,” Recto said.

“Thus I hope that the perennial compensation issues confronted by personnel in PAGASA and similar agencies will be solved by the new allocations in 2014,” he added.

Recto said public servants such as Fabregas couldn’t be blamed for wanting to find a better job that pays them more.