Cotabato City Council Approves 100% Pay Hike for Gov’t Servants

Cotabato City — Employees of the city government here will have something to look forward to at the end of the month after the city council approved a resolution increasing civil servants’ salary by 100 percent.

The city council, chaired by Vice Mayor Cynthia Guiani Sayadi, also adopted the Internal Rules and Procedures, with all council members in attendance.

She explained the legislative action was based on an Executive Order issued by the Office of the President.

“This is based on existing law on standardization, the local government has the duty to implement it at the local level,” she said.

Under the Salary Standardization Law, the local government is given the green light to increase salaries depending on the availability of local funds.

Covered in the 100 percent pay hike are regular or permanent employees while contractual and job order workers are exempted.

The standardization will be fully implemented by 2019.

Following the approval of the resolution, Sayadi urged about 800 city government employees to improve their services to the people of Cotabato.

“Change has come and that it is the duty of every government servant to perform what is expected of him,” she said in Filipino.

Sayadi also warned government workers to do away with “bad habits” while working in government, including tardiness, undertime and cheating of work hours.

The salary increase takes effect this July 2016. (PNA) JMC/NYP/EOF