FEB.

15, 2015

NR # 3743B

Solon wants minimum monthly base pay of uniformed personnel

raised to P24,887
A House member is seeking to increase the minimum base pay of the personnel in the armed
forces, police, fire protection, coast guard and jail management agencies to Salary Grade 15, which is
equivalent to P24,887 monthly, to boost their morale in performing their tasks and discourage them from
resorting to illegal activities to meet their needs.
Rep. Scott Davies S. Lanete (3rd District, Masbate) said despite the risks in their jobs, military
personnel under the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Department of National Defense (DND),
and uniformed personnel under the Philippine National Police (PNP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP),
Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) under the Department of Interior and Local
Government (DILG), and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) are among the lowest paid government
employees based on studies.
In fact, the monthly base pay of the lowest ranking personnel in any of these government
agencies concerned do not even meet the monthly cost of living form a family of five as set by the
National Statistics Office (NSO) at P13, 200, said Lanete.
Lanete, a medical doctor, said it is high time the State recognizes the invaluable risk that these
personnel from the AFP, DND, PNP, BFP, BJMP and PCG perform daily with the goal of maintaining
peace and order while at the same time reduce their exposure to temptations brought about their meager
salaries.
Without these brave souls, the citizenry would not be able to sleep soundly at night for fear of
falling prey to lawless elements and disastrous calamities. These are the same people who risk their lives
to ensure the people enjoy their rights to life, liberty and property, said Lanete.
Despite their heroic roles, Lanete said these personnel are oftentimes involved in incidents that
deprive the people of the enjoyment of their rights. News articles abound reporting these personnel
succumbing to temptations and abandoning the duty they swore to the people. One of the causes for the
unfortunate events is the lack of adequate compensation received by these personnel, said Lanete, a vice
chairman of the House Committees on Poverty Alleviation, and on Public Order and Safety.
In House Bill 5410, Lanete proposed that the minimum base pay of personnel under the AFP,
DND, PNP, BFP, BJMP and PCG shall not be lower than the amount equivalent to Salary Grade 15
prescribed under Republic Act 6758 otherwise known as the Compensation and Classification Act of
1989. Under the third phase of the Salary Standardization Law, Salary Grade 15 is equivalent to a
monthly basic salary level of P24, 887.
In addition to the base pay, personnel under the AFP, DND, PNP, BFP, BJMP and PCG shall
receive at least P2,000 every month as allowance, the bill provides.
The bill provides it is the declared policy of the State to continuously promote and improve the
social and economic well-being of government employees involved in the maintenance of peace and
order within the country. (30) rbb