Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada on Monday, May 6 expressed confidence there is sufficient time to study the proposal seeking a new round of salary increases for government workers. 

Estrada pointed this out after the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) reiterated that any proposed wage increase for government employees would have to be tackled first by Congress. 

This comes after a government workers group, Confederation for Unity, Recognition, and Advancement of Government Employees (COURAGE), pressed that the national minimum wage to be increased to P33,000 monthly for state workers. 

This after President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. called for a review of the prevailing minimum wage rates in every region of the country. 

The Senate labor committee chief said he expects the DBM to be ready with present a comprehensive study on the feasibility of providing an additional round of salary increments for state employees in the upcoming years when the budgetary deliberations for the 2025 national budget begins.

Estrada earlier filed  Senate Bill No. 2611 which aims to provide a 10 to 46 percent adjustment in the salaries of government workeres during the four-year implementation of the proposed Salary Standardization Law (SSL) V.

“Regardless of the President's directives, our economic managers have already anticipated the need to allocate funds for salary restructuring in the 2025 national budget due to the escalating cost of living,” Estrada said.

“I was informed that there is a study on this matter, and we will wait for its submission in time for the budget hearings. May sapat na panahon para pag-aralan ang pinapanukala ko na panibagong (There is still time to study this proposed new) Salary Standardization Law,” he added. 

 

But if passing a new SSL V is not feasible, the senator said another possible solution is the issuance of an Executive Order. 

“Just like what former President Benigno Aquino III did on February 16, 2016. He issued EO No. 201 to implement an increase in the salaries of government employees when Congress failed to ratify a new SSL,” he said.

“Umaasa tayo na mabibigyan ng konsiderasyon ang panukalang inihain ko dala na rin ng mga pangangailangan ng mga manggagawa bunsod ng patuloy na pagtaas ng presyo ng mga bilihin (We hope that consideration will be given to the proposal that I submitted precisely due to the needs of the workers caused by the continuous increase in the price of goods),” the lawmaker added.