Argosy S. Nazareno
PERA Increase
Hear ye hear ye, oh Legislators!
With the recent price increase of petroleum products, which affects the prices of other basic commodities, government employees are clamoring for an increase in their salary. Even with the Salary Standardization Law which is in its First Tranche this year, employees are pleading for an increase in their salary and allowance due to the current situation. Some say that if a salary increase is not sufficient, an increase in allowance (PERA) will do.
While the uniformed personnel enjoy a wage hike, other government employees call for an increase in allowance. The current PERA has been nailed at P2,000 for almost eight years since Congress approved Joint Resolution No. 4 merging the P1,500-Additional Compensation with the P500-PERA. PERA was implemented in 1991 with the intent of providing emergency allowance to government employees as a relief mechanism to buffer the impact of the rising cost of living. And now, this subsidy has provided only a slight relief due to the continuing decline of the purchasing power.
I hope our lawmakers could read this and push for its increase, given the handful of measures already presented in the senate and congress. For example, an increase in PERA by P2,000 a month would in effect raise the minimum wage in the government to P13,000 a month. Noting that the P2,000 PERA hike translates to a P66 increase per day which is reasonable and affordable on the part of the government. This will just allow employees to get by, not to get rich.
Another move by our legislators, Senate Bill no. 56, aims to increase the minimum monthly salary of public school teachers and all other government employees. It also aims to increase the Personnel Economic Relief Allowance granted to all government employees to P5,000.00 a month.
The proposal is urgent despite the passage of the Salary Standardization Law 5 (SSL-5). The latest adjustment given by the Salary Standardization Law has failed to fulfill the long-standing aspiration of rank-and-file personnel, which comprise the vast majority of the government system, for decent salaries that will afford them a just standard of living.
Given this request, Local Government Units should also review and look into their plantilla positions, adding requirements such as being a computer literate and possessing basic computer skill to match the current trend of the time. There are a lot of employees who refuse to undergo computer literacy training with an excuse that they are already at a ‘retireable’ age and their position is of a utility worker, not clerk.
Moreover, the performance of the employees should also be considered because there are some regular employees who are inefficient and ineffective to their duties and responsibilities. Some are confident to the point that they pass their assignment to their subordinates who are contractuals or job order workers. Guidelines in implementing Performance based Bonus (PBB) in LGUs should be applied for it to be an effective way of rewarding responsible employees.
The recent increase in the salary of uniformed personnel shows that government could provide the budget if they want to. As the saying goes, “when there’s a will, there’s a way.” Indeed, our government employees are the country’s unsung heroes. By ensuring their welfare, we effectively ensure the quality of service that Filipinos deserve. Ultimately, we should be mindful of the fact that any increase in the salaries of government workers will be shouldered by their employers – the people.