PGMA assures state workers of salary increases until 2013
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President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo assured government workers of pay increases for the next three years as
prescribed under the Salary Standardization Law III which she signed into law June last year.
The SSL III is expected to benefit more than 1.5 million government employees. The salary increases will be
given in four yearly tranches until 2013.
The basic salary, including step increments, where an employee may progress from step 1 to step 8 of the
salary grade allocation, will be the primary component of the compensation framework.
The framework seeks to rationalize and standardize the basic salaries, allowances, benefits and incentives for
government officials and employees.
In her speech keynoting the 16th anniversary of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) held at the
commission’s headquarters yesterday afternoon, the President attributed the benefit to the “bitter but necessary
economic and financial reforms” implemented to increase revenues.
She said the expanded value added tax law (E-VAT) which increased the VAT on taxable items to 12 percent was
the main source of “fresh funds which we reinvested in our people through expanded and improved education,
social services, infrastructure and salary increases.”
“The latest (salary) increase was granted in July last year and that covered everyone in government service
including teachers in the SUCs (state universities and colleges), specialized schools and of course as well as
the staff in the Commission on Higher Education,” the President said to thunderous applause from the more
than 300 officers and employees of CHED.
“Because of the Salary Standardization Law that we enacted during my administration, even when I am no
longer President, you will continue to receive increases for the next three years,” she added.
The President said that the next round of salary increases for government workers is slated to be given this July.
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Transition committee on track – Palace
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Malacañang today said preparations for the smooth transition of power to the incoming administration are
currently ongoing and are “on track.”
In a press briefing in Malacañang this afternoon, Presidential Management Staff assistant secretary Wilfrido Oca
said necessary documents are already being prepared by concerned agencies to assist the government in
formulating a “transition blueprint.”
“The different agencies of government have already created their agency transition cooperation team and these
ATCTs will be drafting or submitting their organizational transition reports and functional transition reports to the
Presidential Transition Cooperation Team,” Oca said.
“Aside from that, there will be a meeting of the different clusters involved in the submission of the OTRs and
FTRs scheduled on Thursday. On Friday, there will be a planning session of PTCT pursuant to Administrative
Order 285,” he added.
“From there up to the planning session, it is expected that a transition blueprint will be presented during the
Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, May 25,” Oca said.
Oca added that aside from preparing the transition documents, “planning for the inauguration of the incoming
president as well as the security aspect of the transition will be discussed.”
Executive Secretary Leandro Mendoza expressed the government’s willingness to extend any assistance to
ensure a flawless transition.
“As what we had said in our transition document, we are ready to provide them the necessary coordination: the
place, the time and the participants,” Mendoza said.
“We are on track. The timeline is on schedule,” he added.
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Ambassador Gaa Lauds the Philippine DA-Agricultural Training Institute’s E-Extension
Program for Agriculture and Fisheries
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Philippine Ambassador to the United States Willy C. Gaa (3rd from left) met with officials from the Philippine
Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) who are visiting the United States for a 1-day study
tour organized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The officials presented the Philippines’ e-extension program systems (Farmers’ Contact Centers) at the U.N.
Commission on Sustainable Development Learning Center and attended seminars at the Cornell University
Cooperative in New York City on 14 May. USDA also arranged briefings for the delegation that focused on
bioenergy, nutrition, climate change and food security.
Ambassador Gaa lauded ATI’s pioneering efforts in using Information and Communications Technologies (ICT)
to help improve the Filipino farmers’ and fisherfolks’ income and productivity. The Philippines is one of the few
Asian countries that first developed e-extension program systems.
L-R: Economic Officer Angelito Nayan; USDA National Program Leader (Forest Biology) Catalino Blanche;
Ambassador Gaa; ATI Director Asterio Saliot; Ms. Antonieta Arceo, OIC-ATI Knowledge Products Management
Division (KPMD); and Ms. Pamela Mappala, Asst. Chief, KPMD. END
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FILIPINO VETERANS EQUITY COMPENSATION FUND DISBURSES MORE THAN $168
MILLION AS OF APRIL 2010
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he Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation (FVEC) Fund has disbursed more than $168 million to qualified
applicants, in the latest reports of the Philippine Office of Veterans Affairs (OVA) as of 1 April 2010. During this
period, a total of 41,302 applications have been received, of which 6,884 (17%) were granted to Filipino veterans
based in the Philippines (recipients of $9,000.00) while 7,075 (17%) applications were approved for those
veterans in the United States (recipients of $15,000). Completed applications are recorded at 25,276 (61%).
There are 16,026 (39%) pending claims with the US Department of Veterans Affairs. Qualifying military service
is currently being verified through the appropriate service department in accordance with 38 CFR 3.203(c) at the
National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis, MO, which serves as the Army’s records custodian.
OVA is continuously conducting outreach programs to assist veterans go through the appeals process for
denied applicants. As of 1 April 2010, Manila Regional Office has received more than 1,058 Notice of Denials. A
total of 11,317 (27%) claims have been denied. END.
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