PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte signed into law the latest round of the Salary Standardization Law, which is expected to upgrade the pay of 1.4 million civil servants.

The President signed the Salary Standardization Law of 2019 on Wednesday, the Palace said. The complete program grants salary increases for government employees in four tranches until 2023.

“The compensation of all civilian personnel shall generally be competitive with those in the private sector doing comparable work in order to attract, retain, and motivate a corps of competent and dedicated civil servants,” according to the text of the Salary Standardization Law.

The President’s Spokesman, Salvador S. Panelo, confirmed the law’s signing at a briefing Thursday, noting that Mr. Duterte was focused on improving work conditions for nurses and teachers.

“The law is aimed at benefiting those hard-working men and women in the government, including our teachers and nurses who unfortunately have been neglected in the past,” Mr. Panelo said.

The law’s implementation schedule is Jan. 1 of every year until 2023. It covers all personnel, whether they are “regular, casual, or contractual; appointive or elective; and on full-time of part-time basis.”

The increase will apply to government personnel in the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches; local government units (LGUs); and as well as certain constitutional commissions and Government-owned or controlled corporations (GOCCs). Government officials who are not covered immediately by the salary increase are the President, Vice President, and Members of Congress. The law restricts salary increases for these offices “only after the expiration of the respective terms of the present incumbents.”

Those excluded from the increase are military personnel; GOCCs covered by a Compensation and Position Classification system; and job-order or contract workers. — Gillian M. Cortez

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR