Bong Go seeks pay hike for gov't workers including teachers and nurses

Newly Elected Senator Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go filed his first ten legislative measures last Tuesday, one of which is SB 200 - An Act Modifying the Salary Schedule for Civilian Government Personnel. This bill seeks to increase the salary of civilian government personnel including teachers and nurses serving in public institutions.

Part of Go's legislative agenda is the welfare of the public sector workforce including nurses and teachers. Being a government employee himself for more than 20 years, Go sees the importance of protecting the welfare of ordinary government workers in order to achieve an efficient and responsive bureaucratic system.

The former Special Assistant to the President has filed this bill to champion the passage of a new version of the Salary Standardization Law. SB200 seeks to increase the salaries of all government workers by modifying the existing Compensation and Position Classification System, making it more attractive and competitive in order to retain and motivate those in government service.

"Dagdagan natin ang suweldo ng mga ordinaryong kawani ng gobyerno, kasama na dyan ang mga guro at nurses. Dapat holistic ang approach natin upang lahat ng mga kawani sa gobyerno ay makapaglingkod ng maayos at magampanan ang kanilang tungkulin sa bayan," he said.

In an interview after he filed the bill, Go said he only promised during the campaign period to increase the salary of selected professionals such as teachers and nurses, but eventually decided to include all civilian government employees.

"Pangako ko noon ang increase ng sahod ng mga teacher, subalit napag-isipan ko po na maraming government workers ang kailangang isali na rin," Go said.

The bill is intended to update the Compensation and Position Classification System (CPCS), increasing salary grade 1 from the current rate of P11,068 to P11,656. The rates of the succeeding salary grades are likewise increased accordingly.

If the bill is passed into law, the increase shall apply to all civilian personnel in the executive, legislative and judicial branches and in the constitutional commissions and other constitutional offices.

Government-owned or controlled corporations (GOCCs) and local government units (LGUs) are also allowed to implement the increase depending on their financial capabilities and other requirements.

The bill states that the increase is designed "to make CPCS even more competitive with the market rates" and help the government in attracting, retaining and motivating highly competent and highly productive civil servants.

The bill, which seeks to increase the salary of government personnel, will not include salary increases for the current President, Vice-President, Senators, and Congressmen.

Furthermore, the bill excludes from the salary increase "individuals whose services are engaged through job orders, contracts of service, consultancy contracts, and service contracts with no employer-employee relationship.

As part of his legislative agenda aimed at helping the Duterte administration achieve positive genuine change felt by all Filipinos, Go personally filed his first 10 Legislative measures at the Senate last week.

"Inuna ko po ang kapakanan ng mga Pilipinong pinaka-nangangailangan ng atensyon mula sa gobyerno. Para ito sa mga may sakit, mga ordinaryong manggagawa, mga biktima ng kalamidad, at mga kabataan na pagasa ng ating bayan. Ito ang serbisyong ipinangako ko sa inyo, serbisyo at pagmamalasakit na ramdam kahit saang dako ng bansa," he said.