Parañaque City 2nd district Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan says Congress must do its part in championing the welfare of non-uniformed personnel (NUP).

This, as the former Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) assistant secretary pushed for the passage of a measure that sought to ensure the security of tenure and the grant of decent pay and benefits to the NUP of the country’s military and law enforcement agencies. 

Yamsuan said he has filed House Bill (HB) No.4796 or the proposed Magna Carta for Non-Uniformed Personnel to ensure the fair treatment of NUP and recognize their indispensable role in the uniformed agencies.  

Yamsuan said the NUP's jobs were "just as important and indispensable in keeping the uniformed agencies functioning efficiently and effectively".

“The recent round of salary hikes and increase in the subsistence allowance of military and uniformed personnel all the more highlight the wide disparity between the pay and benefits that they and their civilian counterparts receive,” he noted. 

Following the issuance of Executive Order (EO) No. 107 by President Marcos , a total of P21.7 billion has been allocated this year to provide for the base pay adjustments of military and uniformed personnel beginning Jan. 1, 2026.  

The EO also covers the increase in their subsistence allowance from P150 to P350 per day also effective Jan. 1 of this year, which will require an allocation of P71.1 billion. 

Yamsuan said that as former DILG official, he personally saw the critical role that NUP play in ensuring the operational effectiveness of the PNP. 

“Pero kahit mahigit 30 years na silang nagtatrabaho at tumanda na bilang NUP,  hindi man lang tumaas ang kanilang sweldo at halos wala man lang natatanggap na benepisyo (But even if they have worked for over 30 years and grew old as an NUP, they do not enjoy any salary increase or barely receive any benefit).  

"The hard work and dedication of many NUPs go unrecognized,  leaving them with no job security or financial protection,” Yamsuan said. 

With the magna carta, Yamsuan said NUP would be justly compensated for their efforts through the grant of salaries, allowances and other benefits, along with the  establishment of a rationalized promotion system and continuing training programs for them. They will also be guaranteed  security of tenure and freedom of association. 

The magna carta also covers NUP in the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), Department of National Defense (DND), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), and the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA).  

The Parañaque lawmaker said there were around 12,800 authorized civilian positions for the PNP, BFP and the BJMP in 2025. 

Yamsuan has proposed in the magna carta that the salary scales of NUP be the same as that of uniformed personnel and be comparably equal to those paid in other occupations or professions requiring equivalent or similar qualifications, training and abilities, regardless of rank positions.  

“The salary scale shall ensure that the lowest rank and position receives an amount which will ensure a reasonable and decent standard of living. The basic monthly salary shall exclude the subsistence allowance, cost of living allowance, quarters allowance, clothing allowance, hazard pay, amelioration pay, health care pay, and all other allowances as may be provided under existing laws," the magna carta read. 

All NUP are assured of security of tenure under the measure, which provides that their services cannot be terminated except for just cause and after due process. If found by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) to have been unjustly dismissed, the bill states that the NUP shall be entitled to reinstatement without loss of seniority rights, and to his/her back wages with interest, along with all other benefits.  

Benefits such as overtime pay, night differential pay, longevity pay, early retirement,  hazard allowance, subsistence allowance, laundry allowance for those required to wear uniforms; rice subsidy;  quarters allowance for those who need to stay in their workplaces; and clothing allowance are also  provided for NUP under the magna Ccrta. 

The magna carta also entitles NUP to vacation and sick leaves, study leaves, maternity and paternity leaves, mandatory leave of five days with full pay,  separation benefits and scholarship privileges for their dependents. 

If passed into law, the magna carta would help professionalize the public safety workforce, boost the morale of NUP and enhance accountability and responsiveness in the uniformed agencies, Yamsuan said.