DRILON, LEGARDA TO CO-AUTHOR SALARY STANDARDIZATION LAW 2015

Despite its tight schedule, the Congress will prioritize the approval of the proposed Salary Standardization Law 2015, Senate President Franklin M. Drilon assured. He and Senate Finance Committee Chair Loren Legarda have agreed to co-author the proposed measure in the Senate.

“There is really a need to pursue the new version of the Salary Standardization Law to increase the purchasing power of millions of our state workers, who could not cope with the inflation,” said Drilon.

“The new compensation package being sought will fix the glaring discrepancies in the pay schemes between the public and private sectors,” Drilon added.

He will author the proposed measure in the Senate along with Senator Legarda. As early as last year, Drilon called on the Department of Budget and Management to review the government pay scale.

“Even if the Senate is busy working on the 2016 National Budget and the Bangsamoro Basic Law, we will make time for the swift passage of this measure to implement the raise in the salary scheme in government,” Drilon said.

 “We will immediately file the draft law. I will immediately talk to my colleagues to give it special attention. We will calendar it for committee hearing and plenary deliberation at the soonest time possible, so we can guarantee its passage by the end of the year,” Drilon said.

According to Drilon, the low pay rates in government sector discourage competitive and highly-skilled employees, even fresh graduates, from working and staying in government.

The primary reason why agencies experience difficulties in filling up vacancies in their offices per Department of Budget and Management record, resulted in 191,988 unfilled positions in 2015.

The proposed SSL 2015 will also solve the exodus of government workers, who leave their posts to seek greener pastures in the private sector and abroad. “An improved salary scheme will be the biggest morale booster for all public workers to excel in their work. It is important for the government to retain its employees and recruit more competent and driven professionals, especially the youth, into its ranks. There are enough provisions in the General Appropriations Bill to fund the implementation of the first tranche of the salary increase,” He pointed out .

Under the Miscellaneous Personnel Benefit Fund, according to Drilon, P50.7 billion has been allotted for the salary increase.

The approval of the Salary Standardization Law 2015 before the year is over, assures all public employees to enjoy higher wages starting next year,” Drilon said.  

The proposed pay hike is “much-awaited and long overdue development” for the millions of government workers, who are paid much less compared to their counterparts in the private sector. The SSL 2015 would be a great Christmas gift for the thousands of public employees around the country.” There is really a need to pursue the new version of the Salary Standardization Law for the sake of our teachers, health workers, policemen and other government employees who receive wages that don’t fairly compensate the hard work they put in serving the people,” Drilon said. /MP