Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Brian Yamsuan (Facebook)

Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan has filed a measure in the House of Representatives that aims to enable the retroactive application of salary increases for employees of local government units (LGUs).

In a statement on Tuesday, Sep. 10, Yamsuan pointed out that this privilege is not enjoyed by LGU workers due to restrictions in Republic Act (RA) No. 7160 or the Local Government Code (LGC).

“Hindi ito patas at hindi makatarungan sa ilalim ng ating Saligang Batas (This is not fair and just under our Constitution). The equal protection clause enshrined in our Constitution also applies within the sphere of public service,” the rookie lawmaker said.

“Employees in the LGU sector deserve to enjoy the same benefit of receiving retroactive pay increases mandated by the government,” he added.

Yamsuan noted that they should be treated similarly to their counterparts working in the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government.

Under House Bill (HB) No.10865, Yamsuan strives to remove the restrictions under the LGC on retroactively applying salary increases or adjustments.

These restrictions, he said, pushed LGU employees to be at a “disadvantage” when President Marcos issued Executive Order (EO) No. 64 that ordered the four-step increase in the base pay of government workers.

“From the local to the national level, civil service employees form the foundation of efficient government operations…they are all held to the same standards of professionalism, integrity, transparency and accountability,” Yamsuan said.

“Kaya dapat ay pantay-pantay ang pagkakaloob sa kanila ng mga benepisyo (That’s why benefits should be equally granted to them),” he stressed.

The Bicol solon recalled that Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah Pangandaman has already confirmed that funds are available to ensure that the salary increases will be retroactively implemented starting January 2024.

However, Pangandaman explained that the LGC needs to be amended first before LGU employees can have the benefit.

With this, Yamsuan is pushing his colleagues in Congress to act on his measure to ensure that local government workers will also benefit from the salary hikes ordered by Marcos.

“We need to correct this inequity,” he said.

HB No.10865 will specifically amend Section 325(g) of the LGC, which states that “the creation of new positions  and salary increases and adjustments shall in no case be made retroactive.”

The bill removes the phrase “and salary increases and adjustments” from this paragraph.