Aquino Signs EO Granting Government Workers Pay Increase

Fresh from a successful three-day working trip in the United States, President Benigno Aquino III on Friday signed an executive order granting the first of the four phases of the Salary Standardization Law (SSL) 4 which Congress failed to pass.

According to Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr., the President signed the EO upon arrival from the US where he attended the Association of the Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN)-US Special Leaders Summit.

“The EO provides for the implementation of the first of the four tranches provided for in the proposed SSL 4 that has not been enacted by Congress,” Coloma said in a statement.

Coloma said the authority to implement the first tranche is provided in Republic Act No. 10717 or the 2016 General Appropriations Act.

The 2016 GAA provides PHP57.9 billion budget for the first tranche of the SSL4 which will also include the granting of 14th month pay for the 1.6 million public servants.

Both the Senate and the House of Representatives passed the proposed SSL4 but the bicameral conference committee failed to agree on proposal of Senator Antonio Trillanes IV to include retired uniformed personnel of the military and police.

The House panel opposed Trillanes’ suggestion, saying it would require additional PHP20 billion which was not included in the 2016 GAA. (PNA) JBP/JFM