Senator Mark A. Villar has filed a bill seeking to grant 13th month pay for contractual and job order personnel in the government service.

“Contractual workers (COs) and job order (JO) personnel play a vital role in government service. They fulfill their duties diligently and passionately comparable to permanent government employees. Notwithstanding, they are not entitled to mid-year and year-end bonuses, such as the 13th-month pay, among other benefits.” Villa said in his explanatory note of Senate Bill 1528, or the ‘’13th Month Pay Law.’’

Villar said job order and contractual workers do not receive benefits such as mid-year and year-end-bonus that regular or permanent employees of government get.

During his stint as Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) secretary, Villar said he saw the needs of government employees and his appreciation of the situation prompted him to file SB 1528.

“In light of the persistent rise in the inflation rate, which led to an extraordinary increase in prices of food, fuel, and other commodities, Filipino workers, including contractual and job order personnel of the government face greater hardships in their lives. Contractual and job order personnel lack security of tenure,” he added.

Villar said that based on his bill, the 13th month pay of job orders and contractual workers should not be less than one half of their monthly pay.

“Ang pagpasa ng naturang panukala ay dapat gawing prayoridad habang may natitira pang panahon (The passage of the bill should be done posthaste). Ito ay upang masuklian ang hindi matatawarang kontribusyon at serbisyo ng mga JO sa ating pamahalaan (This will repay the services done by job orders to the government). Munting pasasalamat lamang sa kanilang sipag, sakripisyo at pagsisiguro na naibibigay ng gobyerno ang mga programa sa mga kababayan natin sa buong taon (The government knows how to repay the dedication and sacrifices of these workers this year),” he explained.

‘’Nakaakma ang panukalang batas na ito base sa inilabas kamakailan na Joint Circular No. 2 ng Department of Budget and Management (DBM) at Commission on Audit (COA) na nagpapalawig ng serbisyo ng mga JO at COS sa pamahalaan hanggang Disyembre ng 2024 (This bill supports the recent Joint Circular No. 2 of DBM and COA extending the services of JOs and COs until December, 2024),’’ he pointed out.

Villar expected some 642,000 non-permanent government workers to benefit from the passage of the measure by Congress.