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Bacolod City, PhilippinesMonday, January 23, 2012
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Calls for hike in state
workers’ PERA intensify

The move to increase to P4,000 the P2,000 monthly Personnel Economic Relief Allowance granted to government employees is gaining ground in the House of Representatives, a press release from Congress said.

Rep. Antonio Tinio (Party-list, ACT Teachers) filed House Bill 5662 seeking the increase to supplement the basic compensation of state workers due to the rising cost of living.

Tinio said an increase in the PERA will offer government personnel more substantial relief from the erosion of the purchasing power of public sector salaries and wages.

He added that the PERA was first granted to government employees in 1991, at P500 per month.

An additional compensation of P1,500 was given by virtue of Joint Resolution 4 issued by the House of Representatives and the Senate on 17 June 2009 totaling to P2,000, the press release said.

"The PERA is granted monthly to all public sector employees, whether paid on salary, wage or base pay basis across all agencies. This benefit is considered as a supplement to their basic compensation," Tinio said.

Under the measure, the augmentation of the PERA shall be referred as the Augmented Personnel Economic Relief Allowance, the press release said.

This shall be granted to civilian government personnel whether employed by the national or local governments, appointive or elective, and whether occupying regular, contractual or casual positions covered by Republic Act 6758 or the "Compensation and Position Classification Act of 1989," as amended, as well as military and uniformed personnel, it added.

Government personnel stationed abroad, and already receiving overseas allowances, are not entitled to APERA.

For the first year of implementation, the funds for the APERA of national government agencies will be charged against savings, which include unreleased appropriations and other programmed appropriations.

The amount shall be included in the annual General Appropriations thereafter, the press release said.

Meanwhile, the budget for local government units shall be charged against their local funds and any deficiency shall be charged against the balances of their Internal Revenue Allotments, which are authorized to be realigned for the purpose.

The amount necessary for the APERA shall thereafter be provided in their respective local budgets.

The bill mandates the Department of Budget and Management to issue the implementing rules and regulations for the effectivity of the act, the press release said.*

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