Last Wednesday, Department of Budget and Management Secretary Benjamin Diokno announced that an additional salary hike for government workers is scheduled in 2020. This is following news that the fourth tranche of salary adjustments will not be implemented until the General Appropriations Act is legislated.

Nevertheless, the DBM chief assured that the fourth tranche salary adjustment will be implemented by February and government employees will be entitled to their salary differential.

“With pronouncements from Congress that budget bill will be their top priority upon resumption next week, we expect the GAA to be signed first week February,” the budget chief said.

          In addition, the Governance Commission For GOCCs (GCG) is contracting an independent firm to conduct a study on the wage structure of government workers vis-a-vis their private sector counterparts. The DBM will be utilizing this data to craft a new salary schedule for government workers to be implemented starting 2020.

          Funding for the conduct of the study has already been allocated to the agency budget of the GCG for FY 2019. Currently, the GCG is conducting Early Procurement for the independent researcher so they may proceed with the conduct of the study as soon as the 2019 General Appropriations Act is passed.

          Results from the study are expected to be delivered by the independent firm before end of June this year. Consequently, the DBM will come out with a proposed salary schedule by the 3rd quarter of 2019.

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