BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Good news for nurses employed by the provincial government of Negros Occidental.
Sixty-nine of them with Nurse 2 positions, will be upgraded from Salary Grade (SG) 15 to Salary Grade 16, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson disclosed yesterday.
The Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Negros Occidental recently passed a resolution adopting the DBM Budget Circular No. 2021-2 dated August 25, 2021, regarding the modification of nurse positions.
On June 1 this year, Malacañang issued a memorandum increases the salary of Nurse II from SG 15 (starting at P33,575 per month as of January 2021, to SG 16 (P36,628) while it retains the position titles of Nurse III to Nurse VII with their corresponding salary grades.
This was after government nurses howled in protest on DBM issued circular last year, that raised the salary grade (SG) of entry-level nurses to SG 15, but demoted the positions of Nurses II to VII to a lower rank.
Lacsons acknowledges the key role of nurses in the fight against COVID-19, thus, he said it is a necessity for the provincial government to look after their needs and welfare.
He also announced earlier that all Capitol employees will also receive a salary increase starting January next year, as provided in the second tranche of Salary Standardization Law.
To ensure the welfare of the Job Order and Contract of Service employees, Lacson said that the provincial government also facilitated their voluntary membership with the Social Security System.
The Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Negros Occidental recently passed a resolution approving the Memorandum of Agreement entered between the SSSS and the Province of Negros Occidental relative to the provision of the social security coverage for Job Order and Contract of Service personnel of the provincial government.
Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said these employees are not covered under the Government Services Insurance System, thus the province will facilitate their voluntary membership with the agency.*
