State workers get additional P1000 monthly

Votinh 173 against 3 and zero abstention, the House of Representatives on Tuesday approved on third and final reading the P13.1 billion supplemental budget for additional P1,000 monthly allowance of the 1.1 million state workers. Those who opposed were Iloilo Rep. Rolex Suplico, Negros Oriental Rep. Jacinto Paras and Makati City Rep. Teodoro Locsin. Suplico explained he supports pay hike for state workers, but he voted against the measure because it did not meet the constitutional requirement being the written certification from the National Treasury assuring there was available funds to support the special appropriation. Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr immediately ordered the House to transmit to the Senate the approved measure for deliberations. He expressed appreciation to the hard work of the House committee on appropriations headed by Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando Andaya, Jr and members of the majority coalition and the full cooperation of members of the minority led by Sorsogon Rep. Francis Excudero. Andaya is newly-appointed secretary of the Department of Budget and Management De Venecia also lauded the "great efforts" of, among others, Deputy Speaker Emilio Espinosa, Majority leader Prospero Nograles and assistant Majority leaders Del de Guzman and Arthur Defensor in steering the measure through plenary. Andaya said "the compensation adjustment is in the form of monthly allowance instead of an increase in basic pay so that the increase will not subjected to withholding tax, and other deductions such as GSIS (Government Service Insurance System) premiums, Pag-ibig, Philhealth and others." The proposed supplemental budget, Andaya said, provides the authority to augment the compensation of the more than one million national government employees effective January 1, 2006. Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman introduced the P1,000 uniform compensation, superseding the Palace-proposed eight percent (8 %) salary increase, which is seen to benefit more the high-salaried workers in government. Andaya added that, subject to the availability of funds, the proposed measure gives authority to government-owned and/or controlled corporations covered by Republic Act No. 6759 (The Compensation and Position Classification Act of l989) as amended, and the local Government Units (LGUs) to grant additional allowance, chargeable against their respective funds. Being in the nature of a supplemental budget, Andaya said, the P13.1 billion is part of the P1.053 trillion proposed 2006 national budget submitted by the President to Congress in August last year. Andaya clarified that the passage of the P13.1B supplemental budget was without prejudice to the efforts and campaign of workers for a P125-daily wage increase in the private sector and a P3,000 across-the-board for the public sector. The House will start Wednesday the plenary sponsorship of the approval of P1.053 trillion GAA 2006 where Andaya is expected to lead the deliberations again as part of his valedictory address before formally joining the official member of the Arroyo Cabinet. -GMANEWS.TV