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Duterte, other gov't workers to receive pay hike starting January next year
President Rodrigo Duterte, who has been complaining with his salary, and some other 1.2 million government workers are expected to receive the third tranche of their salary increase starting January next year with P24 billion set aside for 2018.
In a press briefing, Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno said the release of the third tranche of the salary hike of state workers was in accordance with Executive Order No. 201, s. 2016, which grants a compensation adjustment for them in four tranches.
Under EO 201, Duterte's salary will increase by 34 percent to P289,401 in 2018 from current P215,804. The president is under Salary Grade 33, the highest salary grade of government employees.
The fourth tranche will be implemented in 2019. Duterte's salary by that time could reach as high as P399,739.
Duterte has been saying that if he would have known how hard it is to be a president, he would not have run in 2016. His salary was not that big and he has to divide it to his two families.
Duterte's first marriage, where he has three children, has been annulled. He has been living for years now with Cielito "Honeylet" Avancena, with whom he has a child.
Diokno said the third tranche of compensation package will be given to all civilian workers in the executive, legislative and judicial branches; constitutional commissioners and offices; and state universities and colleges.
Government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs) covered by the Compensation and Position Classification System (CPCS) under Republic Act No. 6758, as amended; all positions for salaried local government units; and all positions for barangay personnel paid a monthly honoraria are also included in the compensation adjustment scheme.
Not covered by the increase are government agencies, including GOCCs, that are exempted from RA 6758, GOCCs governed by the CPCS established by the Governance Commission for GOCCs and approved by the president, and those hired without employer-employee relationship and funded from non-personnel services appropriations.
Diokno said the draft joint resolution that will double the salary of the military and uniformed personnel is expected to be approved by Congress before the end of the year.
With the approval of the joint resolution, the increase in base pay of all military personnel of the Department of National Defense and uniformed personnel of the Department of Interior and Local Government, the Philippine Coast Guard, and the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority will be implemented beginning January next year.
Diokno said his office set the signing of the proposed P3.767-trillion budget for 2018 on December 19 as the bicameral conference committee of both Houses of Congress will be convened on the first week of December to harmonize their respective versions of the bill.
He said he was also "optimistic" that the proposed Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion or TRAIN will be signed before the end of the year. Celerina Monte/DMS
