Solon wants to double gov't workers' allowance

MANILA, Philippines - A partylist legislator is seeking an increase in the monthly relief allowance of government workers from P2,000 to P4,000.

ACT Teachers partylist Rep. Antonio Tinio has filed House bill 250, seeking to hike the public servants' Personnel Economic Relief Allowance (PERA), to cushion the eroding purchasing power of public sector salaries and wages.

Tinio said PERA is considered as a supplement to the basic compensation of government employees due to the rising cost of living.

It is granted monthly to all public sector employees, whether paid on salary, wage or base pay basis, across all agencies, he added.

Tinio's bill also seeks to rename PERA, if its raised, to Augmented Personnel Economic Relief Allowance (APERA).

The measure also provides that the APERA be granted to civilian government personnel whether employed by the national or local governments, appointive or elective, and whether occupying regular, contractual or casual positions, whose positions are covered by Republic Act 6758, or the "Compensation and Position Classification Act of 1989," as amended, as well as military and uniformed personnel.

However, the bill excludes from the added perk government personnel stationed abroad who are already receiving overseas allowances.

For the first year of implementation, funds necessary for the APERA of national government agencies will be taken from savings, which for this purpose includes unreleased appropriations and other programmed appropriations.

The bill proposes that the fund be provided in the annual General Appropriations Act (GAA).

For local government units, the bill provides the APERA shall be charged against their respective local funds.

Any deficiency shall be charged against the balances of the Internal Revenue Allotments, which shall be authorized to be realigned for the purpose. The needed fund shall be provided in the respective local budgets based on the bill.

The PERA was first granted to government employees in 1991 in the amount of P500.

On June 17, 2009, a Joint Resolution 4 was issued by the House of Representatives and the Senate mandating P1,500 additional compensation for government workers.