DBM: Gov't teachers, nurses, cops to get salary hike this January 2017

Secretary Diokno said that public servants will get 2nd tranche of pay hike starting January this year.

MANILA - Civilian government personnel including nurses and teachers, as well as police and military will receive the second of the four-tranche salary hike beginning this January 2017, Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Benjamin Diokno said on Tuesday.

"We are now in the second tranche of our four-tranche salary adjustment. As you now, we gave the salary increase last year. And there will be another salary increase this year, both for civilians, military, and police," Diokno said during the regular Palace briefing.

By civilians Diokno was referring to public school teachers and government hospital nurses.

"That is effective January first," he added.

Diokno said the budget for the second tranche of salary adjustment for government workers was already included in the 2017’s PHP3.35 trillion national budget.

[Related: Second Tranche of Salary Hike Table 2017]

He failed to give the total budget for the salary adjustment but in 2016, Congress has appropriated PHP57.91 billion to cover the requirement to implement the compensation adjustment.

Under the first tranche, the more than 1.5 million public servants also received mid-year bonus equal to their one month salary, enhanced performance-based bonus or PBB, and productivity enhancement incentive.




On the other hand, the hazard pay or combat pay of the military and uniformed personnel (MUP) has increased by at least 200 percent, according to Diokno.

The DBM official, however, clarified that the second tranche of salary adjustment would still require congressional approval considering the first tranche was implemented only through Executive Order No. 201 signed by former President Benigno Aquino III in February last year.




"The previous administration had a downpayment in 2016 and we are going to honor it but there’s maybe a legal defect because it did not go through Congress. It was just incorporated in the budget," he explained.

Diokno said the DBM had already submitted to the Office of the President a copy of the bill.

"Going by the behavior of Congress, they won’t object to a salary increase because it’s a popular move. You can bet Congress will agree to provide," Diokno said. [via PNA]