Senators moved to explore options to implement awaited salary increases for government workers, including rank and file workers, burdened by “financial trouble.”
At public hearing on Tuesday of the Senate Committee on Civil Service, Government Reorganization and Professional Regulation chaired by Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., the panel reviewed possibilities to promptly carry out the pay hike plan announced by President Duterte in his July 22 State of the Nation Address (Sona) before a Joint Session of Congress.
Revilla steered the panel deliberations to tackle hurdles in the way of implementing the “Salary Standardization law 5, Salary Increase and Granting of Additional Benefits for Teachers.” At the onset, Revilla reminded panel members on “the urgent need to implement a viable and fair salary increase for all government employees to help augment their source of income and provide a decent living for their families.”
The senator prodded Department of Budget and Management (DBM) officials present at the hearing to quickly “find funds to implement” the awaited pay hike adjustments.
Revilla reminded the agencies tasked to implement the pay hike that no less than President Duterte himself already “gave the green light” for the salary increase during his fourth Sona.
In turn, invited panelists from the Civil Service Commission (CSC) and DBM, as well as various government and labor sectors and groups, aired their concerns surrounding the awaited implementation of promised pay hike.
The Senate committee was also informed that “some government employees were forced to pawn their ATM cards as collateral for loans,” while other workers are in danger of being charged or arrested for “failure to pay their loans on time.” This prompted Revilla to reassert “the importance of the salary increase for government workers so that they will no longer fall prey to loan sharks and other lenders who would pressure them if they fail to follow their payment schedule.”