By Brian Jules Campued
Following the announcement of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in his third State of the Nation Address (SONA) of a four-tranche salary increase for government employees, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) confirmed on Thursday that the first two tranches will be reflected on their paychecks next year.
In a Palace press briefing on Thursday, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said the wage hike for government workers will also be given retroactively starting January 2024.
The DBM will also issue an executive order detailing the initial salary increase for this year and next year, which allocated at least P70 billion from the proposed 2025 national budget.
“Iyong P70 billion po para sa adjustment na iyan ng first tranche at saka second tranche for next year kasi gusto po natin simulan na this year iyong first tranche noong ating salary increase,” Pangandaman said.
According to the Budget chief, the four-tranche pay hike will be released from 2024 to 2027.
“As of now po, we are perfecting the executive order po and we are hoping po for the issuance of the executive order soon,” she continued.
Aside from the promised wage hike, government employees will also receive a P7,000 medical allowance yearly starting next year.
“Nag-allocate po tayo ng 9.6 billion pesos for next year para po makakuha ang ating mga government employees ng kanilang medical allowance, P7,000 each employee po,” Pangandaman assured.
“I think this is a nice [addition] to the benefits and allowances na mayroon po ang mga empleyado,” she added, noting that many government employees neither have medical allowance nor health maintenance organization (HMO) benefits.
Meanwhile, even though public school teachers are also included in the pay hike for government workers, Pangandaman clarified that an increase in the entry-level salary of teachers would require legislation.
Budget for cash assistance
Pangandaman, likewise, said that the DBM has allocated P253.3 billion in the proposed 2025 budget for the continued rollout of cash assistance to inflation-hit Filipinos.
“Ito po iyong tinatawag natin na mga cash assistance at saka ayuda po. So, tuloy-tuloy din po, magbibigay tayo sa National Expenditure Program 2025, may kabuuang budget po na P253.3 billion po ang nakalaan para sa ayuda,” the Budget chief said.
The bulk of the said amount, or about P205.5 billion, is allocated for the social protection programs of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), such as the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), social pension, protective services, Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP), and the “Walang Gutom: Food Stamp” Program.
Notably, Pangandaman said the budget allocation for social pension has increased following the enactment of the amendments to the centenarian law, while the funding for 4Ps also increased due to the inclusion of cash grants for the health needs of the beneficiaries’ children during the latter’s first 1,000 days of life.
The 2025 NEP also has allocations for the implementation of assistance programs of the Department of Health, the Department of Labor and Employment, and the Department of Transportation. – iro