Former Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III 

How about a 14th month pay for Filipino workers?

Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas senatorial candidate, former Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III plans to pursue this legislation in case he gets elected to the upper chamber on May 12.

“The 13th month pay was mandated by Presidential Decree 851 back in 1975. We need to push for a 14th month pay to help families cover expenses such as school tuition in June,” he said during a recent press conference in Carmen, Davao del Norte.

In the Philippines, June marks the start of the school calendar. As such, the typical Filipino parents tighten up their finances at around this time.

While the 13th month pay is received at the end of the year, Sotto wants the 14th month pay to be released mid-year, in time for the payment of school fees.

He said the proposed 14th month pay will provide additional financial relief to Filipino workers.

Aside from this, the administration bet also underscored the critical need for more doctors, particularly in Mindanao. Citing the Doctor Para sa Bayan Act, which he co-authored, he assured that Alyansa will conduct oversight to ensure proper implementation of medical scholarships. 

“We need to increase the number of doctors in Mindanao, yet CHEd (Comission on Education) has been reducing scholarship slots. That’s unacceptable. We will ensure funding remains intact,” he stated.

Sotto also adressed concerns on the agricultural sector. He emphasized Alyansa’s commitment to curbing agricultural smuggling and prioritizing agricultural modernization.

“We will fight smuggling, whether technical or direct, to protect our farmers. But at the core of all these issues is budget reform. If we want real change, we need to overhaul how funds are distributed,” he said.