The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) is exploring the possibility of raising government workers’ salaries next year to attract skilled individuals to the civil service.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman noted that there is a reserved budget of P16.95 billion for next year, potentially allowing for a two percent to eight percent increase in the monthly basic salary across various national government positions.
“This is to encourage our fellow citizens to enter the government and also to motivate our existing employees to stay in the government and perform well,” Pangandaman said.
The recent completion of the four-stage salary increases mandated by the Salary Standardization Law took effect from 2020 to 2023.
DBM also allocated P48 million from the Governance Commission for the Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations budget this year for a comprehensive review of compensation and position classifications for government employees.
“When it comes to implementing another round of increases, we were given a directive by President Bongbong Marcos to conduct a study to ensure that the compensation of all our civilian government personnel becomes generally competitive compared to those working in the private sector,” Pangandaman stated.
“The final cost requirement shall be determined once the results of the study have been presented and finalized,” she added.
In a commitment to employee welfare, P1.368 billion is set aside for next year to grant an extra P1,000 for the uniform or clothing allowance for over 1.3 million government employees.
Moreover, the DBM is evaluating benefits for civil service ranks. Pangandaman disclosed that higher funding was allocated for State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) to address pandemic-induced learning gaps.
The 2024 budget proposes P105.6 billion for SUCs and P21.7 billion from the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education fund to assist 116 SUCs and more than 3.1 million students.
Further, Pangandaman affirmed a focus on human capital development through education, health, and social protection, allocating P3.4 billion for SUC infrastructure projects to enhance student experiences.
DBM has also allotted P924.7 billion for the education sector, constituting 16 percent of the total 2024 budget.
