• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
While Negros Occidental provincial government employees will get salary increases starting on August 2, Provincial Legal Office officer-in-charge Atty. Alberto Nellas Jr. yesterday said that only national government agencies can implement retroactivity.
Based on their interpretation of the Executive Order No. 64 issued by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Nellas disclosed that local government units are not covered by retroactivity. EO 64 mandates the increase of salaries of government workers, and also authorizes the grant of an additional allowance to state employees.
The updated salary schedule will be implemented in National Government Agencies (NGAs) in four tranches: the first tranche on January 1, 2024; the second on Jan. 1, 2025; the third on Jan. 1, 2026; and the fourth on Jan. 1, 2027.
EO 64 takes effect retroactively, which means that the first tranche of implementation will be effective on Jan. 1, 2024.
Qualified government employees will also receive a medical allowance of P7,000 per annum as a subsidy for the availment of health maintenance organization (HMO)-type benefits.
Nellas said only regular and casual employees of the provincial government may avail of salary increases.
Meanwhile, the Sanggunian Panlungsod of Himamaylan City granted the budget request of Mayor Rogelio Raymund Tongson for an increase in the salaries of city government regular employees.
Vice Mayor Justin Gatuslao, who presided over the SP regular session on Aug.14, said Mayor Tongson also encouraged the City Council to pass another resolution appealing to the Department of Budget and Management, that salary increases be retroactive in nature – or cover the months of January to July this year.
The Himamaylan City government has about 350 regular employees.*
