Government workers should be “happy” if Congress passes a legislation seeking to raise their salaries, Malacañang said yesterday.
Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo welcomed the approval of the House Committee on Appropriations of a bill proposing a salary increase for State workers, including public school teachers and nurses.
“If the Congress has passed that then the workers should be happy for that,” Panelo said.
The committee led by Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab yesterday passed House Bill No. 5712 or the proposed Salary Standardization Law V that will be implanted in four tranches.
The proposed salary increase covers all civilian government personnel in the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches, constitutional commissions, and other Constitutional Offices, government-owned and -controlled corporations and local government units.
At least P34.2 billion will be allocated in the proposed 2020 national budget for the first tranche of the salary hike.
Once fully implemented in 2023, the average salary increase is 23.24 percent.
Malacanang said they would let the Senate pass its version of the bill.
“The President does not really interfere with any kind of work that a co-equal branch does. Hinahayaan na lang niya ‘yun,” he said. (Genalyn Kabiling)
