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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider House bill to boost benefits, morale of civilian workers in uniformed agencies 

House bill to boost benefits, morale of civilian workers in uniformed agencies 

Published Nov 29, 2023 02:59 am

At A Glance

  • Solons have pitched for a human resources development program (HRDP) for civilian or non-uniformed personnel (NUP) in the military as well as uniformed agencies to make sure these workers get the same benefits such as merit promotion, training plus scholarship grants, and incentive awards that their uniformed counterparts enjoy. 

IMG-591b01ea3b85b0bee31fafa842c5ef59-V.jpgHouse of Representatives (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Solons have pitched for a human resources development program (HRDP) for civilian or non-uniformed personnel (NUP) in the military as well as uniformed agencies to make sure these workers get the same benefits such as merit promotion, training plus scholarship grants, and incentive awards that their uniformed counterparts enjoy. 

This proposal is embodied in House Bill (HB) No.7981 or the proposed Magna Carta for NUP in uniformed agencies. The bill was authored by Camarines Sur 2nd district Rep. LRay Villafuerte and Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan. 

As part of his proposal, Villafuerte wants the proper authorities to take steps, whenever possible, to assign married couples, if both spouses are NUP, in the same locality, but not in the same workplace. 

The proper authorities must also take steps to enable solo parents from among NUP to be assigned in the same localities where they reside, said Villafuerte, an author of Republic Act (RA) No.8972 or the “Solo Parents Welfare Act,” which provided benefits and privileges to single fathers and mothers along with their children. 

These are among the provisions of HB No.7981, which is pending with the Committee on Civil Service and Professional Regulation in the House of Representatives. 

“Civilian employees in the military and uniformed agencies have quietly suffered from low pay, long work hours, unsafe working conditions and lack of benefits, social protection and job security,” said Villafuerte and Yamsuan in their bill. 

“They work as partners in protecting the lives of the Filipino people, and their jobs are as valuable as their uniformed counterparts,” they said.  “Hence, this bill seeks to improve the social and economic well-being of all NUP as well as to ensure that their rights are protected.” 

Villafuerte said the measure aims to help professionalize public safety workforce, boost NUP employee morale, and enhance the responsiveness of our institutions. 

The bill seeks to guarantee the security of tenure of civilian employees in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and other law enforcement agencies, along with providing them with decent compensation and  the same benefits availed of by their uniformed colleagues and other workers in the government.   

This bill will benefit NUP or civilian workers in the AFP, Philippine National Police (PNP), Department  of National Defense (DND), Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), and the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA).   

The proposed HRDP shall oversee NUP concerns pertaining to “merit promotion, performance evaluation, incentive and award system, job rotation, cross-posting overseas and local scholarships, training grants, incentive award system, and such other similar services and human resource development interventions, including programs on the job training, counseling, coaching, job rotation, secondment, job swapping etc.". 

These concerns shall be addressed by the concerned agencies in consultation with and concurrence of the accredited employees’ organizations, and the proposed program shall conform to the rules and regulations of the Civil Service Commission (CSC), according to the bill.  

The bill proposes “A system of promotion for NUP that shall be based on merit and fitness on the available vacant positions in the agency’s staffing pattern. Such system shall be gender fair and shall ensure that women non-uniformed personnel of the agency shall enjoy equal opportunity for promotions as that of men.” 

Moreover, tt mandates that the salary scales of NUP shall be the same as those of  uniformed personnel, and shall be comparably equal to those paid in other occupations or professions requiring equivalent or similar qualifications, training and abilities regardless of rank positions. 

The bill prohibits the transfer or reassignment of NUP workers, except when made in the interest of public service, in which case, the employee concerned shall be informed of the reasons therefore in writing. 

 

Related Tags

civilian uniformed personnel lray villafuerte Bicol Saro Party-list Brian Raymund Yamsuan
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