Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 12) — The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said Tuesday it is willing to endorse an executive order that would provide for an increase in the salaries of government workers.
Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara said during the Senate’s plenary debates on the proposed ₱4.1-trillion 2020 budget that acting DBM Secretary Wendel Avisado “seems open” to the idea of issuing a new executive order that would provide for another round of salary hikes.
Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto pressed the DBM to push for an executive order for the wage hikes for government workers instead of waiting for Congress to pass a law, which he said can take long.
“The executive has one month to do it para January tinaas na ‘yung sweldo ng lahat ng empleyado [so that all employees’ salaries will be increased by January.] … Just do it, why not? Because if you let Congress do it, we’ll probably give bigger,” Recto said.
Angara said that even if the DBM has the authority to hike salaries through an executive order, it does not have enough funds for it — a claim which Recto immediately refuted.
Recto said there are enough funds from this year’s and next year’s budget to fund the next round of salary hikes for government workers.
Angara said there is still ₱23 billion left in the miscellaneous personnel benefits fund (MPBF) from this year’s budget, which Congress aims to extend until the end of 2020. The DBM had already earmarked ₱31 billion in the 2020 budget to fund a fresh pay hike for state employees.
Government workers have enjoyed a yearly raise since 2016, through Executive Order 201 issued by then President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III. The last tranche took effect this year, where those under salary grade 1 now earn a minimum of ₱11,068 per month, while the President at salary grade 33 — the highest in the ranks — can earn as much as ₱399,739 monthly.
