6,000 ARMM employees to lose jobs in new Bangsamoro gov’t — workers’ group

About 6,000 employees of the current Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) will lose their jobs once the proposed Bangsamoro region is created, a workers' group said.

Marites Maguindra, volunteer interim head of the ARMM Employees Welfare Group, made the statement on Tuesday as the group appealed to the bicameral conference committee finalizing its draft of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) to ensure full absorption of all employees.

In an interview with reporters, Maguindra said that the working draft of the bicameral panel's version of the proposed BBL states that only ARMM employees in the education, health and social welfare sectors would be retained.

She said that out of the current 23,000 employees in ARMM, about 6,000 belong to the infrastructure, economic and governance sectors, and may get left out in the Bangsamoro government.

"We are here to appeal na kung ire-retain or ia-absorb nila yung 23,000, why not lahat ba lang? Six thousand na lang yung natitira," Maguindra said.

According to Maguindra, a total of 933 out of the 6,000 workers are set to retire, while a total of 1,096 of them are new entrants. The rest are middle managers.

She said that if the Bangsamoro government will absorb all 23,000 employees, a total of 933 slots are already expected to be vacated.

The middle managers, meanwhile, are likewise expected to leave their posts in 10 to 15 years' time, she added.

"Let there be natural vacancies because we are now putting up a new government that could last for a lifetime. Because we are looking for a lasting peace and solution to the issues of the Bangsamoro region," Maguindra said.

Aside from this, Maguindra said ARMM employees are skilled and competent regardless of what kind of services they deliver.

"What differs the social sector and other sectors in terms of the delivery of services? Their roles are also very, very critical in delivering services," she said.

"So bakit sa pag-akyat ng ARMM government to the new Bangsamoro government, hindi guaranteed kung ano yung kanilang fate?" she asked.

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, who co-chairs the bicameral panel, explained that part of their transition of hiring personnel for different agencies is the cleansing of staff.

"Except for social services, mga social workers, health workers and teachers, all the rest will be up for replacement and retrenchment," he said in a separate interview with reporters.

The senator, however, noted that there will be a "lucrative" retrenchment and compensation package for those that will be laid off.

"[This is] better than what the civil service rules are as of the moment. We put that in place so that we can make that change within the new Bangsamoro government," he said.

The bicameral panel is expecting to finish polishing all the provisions of their version of the proposed BBL on Tuesday.

Once the bicameral panel reconciles the varying provisions of the versions of the two chambers, the Senate and the House will separately ratify the measure on the opening of the Third Regular Session on July 23.

The final version of the measure will then be submitted to President Rodrigo Duterte for signing later that day, in time for his third State of the Nation Address. — BM, GMA News