Arroyo signs law on gov’t salaries

House OKs measure raising public servants' salaries
First Posted 03:32:00 06/18/2009 | Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has signed into law a joint congressional resolution standardizing the pay of more than one million government personnel.

Arroyo signed Resolution 4, or the Salary Standardization Law III, at the airport lounge yesterday just before leaving on a chartered Philippine Airlines flight for a working visit to Japan.

The resolution, which has the effect of law, introduces new compensation and position scale for civilian, military and uniformed personnel in government.

In essence, it “overhauls not only the pay, but [also] the plantilla,” Malacañang officials said.

It seeks to address the salary overlaps created by the current compensation system, such as varying allowances and benefits, which have distorted pay of government employees, they said.

The increase in pay could be as high as 50 percent, and will be implemented over a period of four years, beginning in July.

For instance, the salary grade of public school teachers has been raised one notch, giving them a basic pay of between P18,088 and P19,527, or a 50-percent increase when fully implemented.

“In effect, we’re giving the private sector good competition. We’re encouraging competent workers to join the government. Now government salaries can already be competitive,” said deputy presidential spokesperson Lorelei Fajardo. --TJ Burgonio

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House OKs measure raising public servants' salaries

House OKs measure raising public servants' salaries
05/21/2009 | GMANews.TV

MANILA, Philippines - The House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading the measure seeking to raise the salaries of public servants, including politicians.

In a text message to reporters, House Speaker Prospero Nograles hailed the passage of the Salary Standardization Law III that was passed Wednesday evening, or almost a week after President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo certified the bill as urgent.

“Position classification and salary grades in both national and local governments are rationalized to effect the biggest ever upwards hikes or adjustments," Nograles said, adding that the bill would "help our public servants cope with increases in costs of living."

The new system will increase salaries for government employees ranging from the rank-and-file to elected officials. It will also apply to all civilian government personnel, whether regular, casual or contractual, appointive or elective, full-time or part-time.

SSL III groups positions in government into three categories: the sub-professional category, which includes those involved in manual or clerical work or those engaged in arts, crafts, and trades; the professional category, which involves those exercising their profession through formal education or training; and the executive category, which includes managerial positions in executive, legislative, and judicial functions.

Under the proposal, the present 33 salary grades and eight steps per salary grade will be retained, but salary grades will be rationalized to avoid overlaps.

It will be implemented within four years starting July 1, 2009, but salary hikes for the incumbent president, vice president, and members of Congress will only take effect after their terms. - Aie Balagtas

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Sec. Jose L. Atienza, Jr. Sportsfest 2009

The
Secretary Jose L. Atienza, Jr.
Sportsfest 2009
is on!!!

View or download Special Order No. 2009-102 below.

View more documents from DENREU.

For a larger view, right click your mouse at the document and select "Zoom In". To download, click the "View" option. This allows you to view the PDF file in the DENREU SlideShare site. There you will find a "Download File" option. If you have problems viewing/downloading the document, just let us know.

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BOD Julie Ibuan is granted ILO scholarship in Brazil

We are pleased to inform our members that the DENREU-Central Office Vice-President for Inter-Union Affairs, Ms. Julie Gorospe-Ibuan was granted a scholarship by the International Labor Organization (ILO) for Global University Master’s Program on Social Economy and Labor particularly on Labor Economics and Social Policies at the State University of Campinas, Brazil starting February 2009 up to June 2010. The DENREU family is very proud for Ms. Ibuan is the only Asian from among the grantees who qualified for the said scholarship grant.

Likewise, a member of the DENREU-Central Office, Mr. Artemar Buena was recently elected as Chairperson of the Confederation of Independent Unions in the Public Sector (CIU) Youth Committee during the CIU NEC En Banc Meeting. The CIU is a confederation of numerous unions in the public sector and the DENREU is one of its affiliates. Out of the said numerous affiliates, still Mr. Buena who represents the DENREU got the trust of the other delegates and was elected as Chairperson of the CIU Youth Sector.

It is indeed an honor not only for the DENREU but for the DENR as an institution that Ms. Ibuan and Mr. Buena were able to excel in public sector unionism in the national and international labor arenas.

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DBM says no forced firings under rationalization program

DBM says no forced firings under rationalization program
abs-cbnNEWS. com | 02/13/2009 6:37 PM


Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya on Friday said there have been no forced firings of government employees under the government's rationalization program.

Andaya said employees holding positions that will be abolished under the program will be given the option to accept a retirement package from the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), but the government cannot force the employee if the worker decides to remain in the position.

"For those who want to resign, the GSIS offers a generous retirement package that is over and above what they're getting. There is rationalization going on but no forced retirement," he said.

Andaya also said that despite the rationalization program in some government agencies, the government is still seeking new nurses, teachers, policemen, and personnel who will implement the government's reforestation program.

"For this year, there are no mass layoffs but mass hiring in the national government. We are hiring even 60,000 employees to serve in the national government for the year," he said.

President Arroyo issued Executive Order 366 in 2004 directing all departments and government agencies of the Executive Branch to conduct a strategic review of their operations and organizations to identify the functions, programs, activities and projects that could be scaled down, phased out, and abolished.

The order covered 20 departments, 28 other executive offices, and 60 government-owned and controlled corporations.

Since the start of the program, Andaya said the government has removed around 9,300 positions as part of streamlining the bureaucracy, adding that no one was forcibly removed.

He said all those who were removed from their positions were offered retirement benefits, which they "gladly" accepted.

Andaya added that the government will save P1 billion this year once the rationalization program is continued. With a report from Nadia Trinidad, ABS-CBN News

as of 02/13/2009 6:37 PM

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Tiangge Collection for December 2008 to January 2009

If you can't view the excel file above, clear your cache and cookies then refresh/reload. Or you can view the above excel file at the Google Docs page.

To see the most recent posting of the tiangge collection, you may visit the DENREU office at the Central Office compound near the Canteen.

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2,000 gov’t workers await layoff

2,000 gov’t workers await layoff

By Ronnel Domingo
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 01:23:00 02/12/2009

About 2,000 government employees are bracing themselves for the first wave of job cuts under a Malacañang plan to rationalize agencies under the executive branch, the head of a group of state workers.

A total of 801 employees of the National Food Authority (NFA) and about 1,200 workers at the Bureau of Customs are in danger of losing their jobs, said Ferdie Gaite, president of the Confederation for Unity, Recognition and Achievement of Government Employees.

“NFA workers were given notices of redundancy in December and they were given 60 days to decide if they want to transfer to other agencies or opt for early retirement,” Gaite said in an interview.

He said most of the workers who got their papers were laborers, such as those who handle sacks of rice in NFA warehouses manually.

The BoC employees were also given their notices early this month, Gaite added.

The BoC Employees Association said in a statement that 700 of its members had received such notices and were given up to 15 days to decide on which option to take.

It said automation of warehousing operations would result in the removal of security guards, warehousemen and storekeepers, as well as workers detailed with the bureau’s water patrol and radio communications divisions.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in 2004 signed Executive Order No. 366, which calls for a “strategic review” of agencies under the executive branch with the aim of weeding out redundant or outdated jobs.

Last month, Economic Planning Secretary Ralph Recto said rationalization would have to be considered at a time when domestic and overseas jobs are under threat.

Recto said the Department of Budget and Management, the lead agency in the rationalization initiative, had so far approved related plans covering four departments, including 11 attached agencies, 11 government-owned or -controlled corporations and 15 entities classified as “other agencies.”

These four plans alone would affect a total of 7,898 regular employees and 1,189 contractual workers, which translate to a possible saving of P757 million for the government.

Gaite said these plans included deactivation of Quedan Rural Credit and Guarantee Corp., which would affect some 1,000 employees.

“The rationalization plan should be scrapped,” Gaite said, adding that the government should ensure job security instead of taking them away at a time of crisis. With editing by INQUIRER.net

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Stop retrenchment of state workers, Pimentel tells Arroyo

Stop retrenchment of state workers, Pimentel tells Arroyo
02/06/2009 | 05:07 PM
From GMANews.tv

MANILA, Philippines – A senator on Friday urged the Arroyo administration to suspend the termination of state workers to avoid worsening the unemployment situation brought about by the global financial crisis.

In a press statement, Minority Floor Leader Aquilino Pimentel, Jr. said unless they voluntarily quit or retire, government employees affected by the rationalization scheme should not be put out of their jobs at this time.

Pimentel's statement came after Socioeconomic Planning Sec. Ralph Recto advised Malacañang to suspend the implementation of the scheme to prevent thousands of state workers from losing their jobs.

"I think we should support of NEDA director general Recto to suspend the mass layoff of supposedly excess employees or those occupying redundant positions," said Pimentel.

"In other words, the status quo should prevail in the meantime in the light of the emergency while we are looking for long-term solutions," he added.

The senator said government agencies can accommodate excess employees from other agencies by assigning them to implement new programs in the health, infrastructure, education, training and environment sectors that will be created using the economic stimulus fund that was allocated by Congress in the 2009 national budget.

"It would be unwise for the government to fire its own employees and who will swell the ranks of unemployed at a time when it is seeking ways to create job opportunities for workers who have been displaced by the global economic crisis, and new college graduates who will join the labor force," he said.

Pimentel likewise appealed to the private sector not to fire employees amid the global economic meltdown, while he urged workers to do their part by not demanding pay increases and by not holding protest actions. - Johanna Camille Sisante, GMANews.TV

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From CIU: Workers Lambast Gov't for Failure to Generate Decent Jobs

Workers Lambast Government for Failure to Generate Decent Jobs

October 6, 2008
ciups.wordpress.com

Members of various labor federations and allied groups, taking part in the forthcoming Peoples’ Global Action on Migration, Development and Human Rights, trooped today in front of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to mark tomorrow’s observance of the “World Day for Decent Work”

“Today’s picket is primarily staged to make the Arroyo government accountable for failing to provide decent work to Filipino people.” Josua Mata, Secretary General of Alliance of Progressive Labor (APL) said. Mata added that the Philippines is one of the signatories to the International Labor Organization’s call “Decent Work for All”. “But the Philippine government has consistently failed to live up to its commitment to generate decent jobs and to protect the same, forcing workers to migrate. Decent work does not include prostitution where many women migrants are trapped. Worst, its track record in “promoting” decent work is seriously marred by its undeclared war against trade union.” Mata added.

Click here to read the complete article at the CIU blog.

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INQUIRER: Atienza memoed over flag ceremonies

Atienza memoed over flag ceremonies

By Margaux Ortiz
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 22:17:00 10/06/2008
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20081006-164937/Atienza-memoed-over-flag-ceremonies

MANILA, Philippines -- It was the employees' turn to issue a memorandum to Secretary Lito Atienza of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

After DENR Undersecretary Mary Anne Lucille Sering issued a memorandum to several employees for allegedly failing to attend the flag raising ceremony on September 15, members of the DENR Employees Union (DENREU) struck back at the top environment officials.

The DENREU said Atienza and Sering failed to attend the flag ceremonies on September 22 and 29.

The union members displayed a huge copy of the memorandum in a protest rally in front of the DENR office Monday noon.

The employees, aside from protesting against the issuance of the memorandum, also demanded the relief of the agency's financial management service director Elvira Caparas “for her lack of transparency in making decisions affecting them.”

In response, Atienza ordered the relief of Caparas and assigned her to head the Internal Audit Service instead.

“This is a good development, but we hope that Secretary Atienza will also consider our other demands such as giving the employees due process with regard to the flag ceremony issue and releasing our transportation allowance,” DENREU president Camilo Garcia said.

Sering earlier issued several memorandums to different divisions and offices of the DENR, about the absence of personnel from the flag raising ceremony.

Citing rules and regulations of the Civil Service Commission (CSC), Sering, a lawyer by profession, pointed out in her memorandum that failure to attend the flag-raising ceremony would violate the “reasonable office rules and regulations” and would be meted penalty.

However, the DENR employees condemned the “lack of due process” in the way Sering handled the issue.

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DENR Employees, nakibaka noong Oktubre 6, 2008

Maraming salamat sa lahat ng miyembro ng DENREU at sa iba pang mga kawani ng DENR na nakiisa sa pakikibakang ginanap noong ika-6 ng Oktubre 2008 sa DENR Central Office.

(View more photos at denreu.multiply.com)

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Memo issued to Atienza and Sering for non-attendance in the flag raising ceremony on September 22 and 29, 2008

MEMORANDUM

TO: Secretary ATIENZA and Usec SERING

FROM: DENREU

SUBJECT: NON-ATTENDANCE IN THE FLAG RAISING CEREMONY ON SEPTEMBER 22 AND 29, 2008

DATE: 06 October 2008


As observed by everyone who attended the flag raising ceremony on September 22 and 29, 2008, you were not present on the said dates.

Under existing CSC rules and regulations, non-attendance in the flag ceremony is a violation of “reasonable office rules and regulations” which falls under “Light Offenses” with the following corresponding penalties as provided for under CSC Resolution No. 991936 (Uniform Rules on Administrative cases in the Civil Service):

1st offense - Reprimand
2nd offense - Suspension 1-30 days
3rd offense - Dismissal

Foregoing considered, you are hereby meted the penalty of “SUSPENSION” for thirty (30) days and the consequence of OUSTER for violation of reasonable office rules and regulations. Should you elect to appeal or explain your absence in the said ceremony, you shall issue a statement within fifteen (15) days from receipt of this Memorandum. This Memorandum shall form part of your 201 File.

For your information.


DENR EMPLOYEES UNION

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DENR Employees Union condemns memoranda issued, urgently calls for recall

“Where is due process?”

So the employees at the head office of the environment department in Visayas Avenue, Quezon City are asking after having been notified of possible dismissal from the service for failing to attend the flag raising rites last September 15.

“The notices outright hand down the penalty of reprimand without giving us first any modicum the chance to explain. No wonder even those who are on official leave were given the notices,” said Department of Environment and Natural Resources Employees Union (DENREU) President Atty. Camilo D. Garcia

“This betrays Environment Secretary Lito Atienza’s image as a staunch advocate for due process,” he said.

Garcia is referring to the memorandum received by some two hundred employees from DENR Undersecretary Lucille Sering signed last September 19 notifying the employees that they have been meted out a penalty of “reprimand” citing that “you were not present in the Flag Ceremony on 15 September 2008.”

Under Resolution No. 991936 (Uniform Rules on Administrative Cases of the Civil Service ), non-attendance in flag raising rites is classified as a “light offense” but carries a penalty of dismissal on the third infraction.

“There is great demoralization among our ranks because of this. It is even ironic that this was signed during the 108th anniversary of the Civil Service Commission,” Garcia added.

“Given the brazen disregard for due process, it’s not difficult to think that the management was thinking of rationalization when they crafted the memorandum. It would have made the job of firing off employees a lot easier had this memo been left unnoticed. Out of this memo I guess we would not be faulted to be filing complaints in the proper venue if circumstances warrant, “Garcia said.

This is essentially the reason why DENREU came out with Resolution No. 2008-12 urging Undersecretary Sering to recall all memoranda imposing the penalty of reprimand to those employees who were unable to attend the September 15, flag raising rites.

The Board said that the memoranda is so prejudicial to the employees as the same will form part of their 201 file which may put them in a disadvantage in future promotion or even employment.

“The said memoranda is violative of the employees constitutional rights to due process and that is why the union is duty bound to protect its members,” Garcia disclosed.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources Employees Union is a national union under the umbrella organization of the Confederation of Independent Unions in the Public Sector.

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Res No. 2008-12: Recall All Memoranda Imposing the Penalty of Reprimand to Employees who Failed to Attend the Flag Ceremony

RESOLUTION NO. 2008-12
A RESOLUTION URGING THE UNDERSECRETARY FOR ADMINISTRATION, FINANCE AND LEGAL TO RECALL ALL MEMORANDA IMPOSING THE PENALTY OF REPRIMAND TO ALL EMPLOYEES WHO FAILED TO ATTEND THE FLAG RAISING CEREMONY ON SEPTEMBER 15, 2008

WHEREAS, the Republic of the Philippines is a democratic state;

WHEREAS, Secretary Jose L. Atienza, Jr. always proclaimed that he is a protector of democracy and will never allow any attempt to violate the constitution of the Republic;

WHEREAS, the very essence of democracy is the full and complete observance of due process of law as enshrined in the constitution of the Republic of the Philippines;

WHEREAS, due process of law entails the compliance of the twin requirements of due notice and hearing. Notice means that the employee shall be informed of the charges against him/her, while hearing simply means the opportunity to be heard and defend himself/herself either personally or with the assistance of a representative. Any decision or ruling issued without compliance with the said twin requirements is a complete nullity as the same violates the due process clause of the Constitution.

WHEREAS, jurisprudence is settled that what due process abhors is the lack of opportunity to be heard;

WHEREAS, the several memoranda issued by the Undersecretary for Administration, Finance and Legal imposing the penalty of reprimand to all employees who failed to attend the flag raising ceremony on September 15, 2008 was done without due notice and hearing to afford the employees the opportunity to present their side;

WHEREAS, the said memoranda automatically imposes the penalty of reprimand without first informing the employees of the charges against them and likewise without giving the employees the opportunity to be heard;

WHEREAS, the opportunity to be appeal or explain within fifteen (15) days from receipt of the Memoranda is of no moment as the penalty was already imposed ahead of such explanation. It cannot be done because the law and jurisprudence is settled that notice and hearing must first be done before a penalty is carried out;

WHEREAS, since reprimand is a penalty, the same cannot even be imposed without a formal charge in its strict administrative sense;

WHEREAS, the said memoranda is so prejudicial to the employees as the same will form part of their 201 file which may put them in a disadvantage in future promotion or employment;

WHEREAS, the DENREU will support and will help implement reasonable office rules and regulations of the DENR but will not, however, allow any shortcut of established procedures in imposing disciplinary actions for violation of such office rules and regulations. The imposition of penalty shall be in accordance with due process and settled rules and jurisprudence;

NOW THEREFORE, as unanimously approved by the Board of Directors in an emergency meeting called for the purpose, resolved as it is hereby resolved, urging the Undersecretary for Administration, Finance and Legal, Atty. Mary Ann Lucille L. Sering, to recall all memoranda issued imposing the penalty of reprimand to all employees who failed to attend the flag ceremony on September 15, 2008 for being violative of the employees’ constitutional rights to due process;

RESOLVED FURTHER, that a copy of this Resolution be furnished the Secretary, Jose L. Atienza, Jr, the Commissioner of the Civil Service Commission; the Chairperson of the Confederation of Independent Unions in the Public Sector, the DENREU Presidents of Regional and Bureau offices and Attached Agencies, and the Director of the Administrative Service;

RESOLVED FINALLY, that a copy of this Resolution be posted at the Bulletin Board for the information of the general membership.

APPROVED AND ADOPTED, this 30th day of September 2008 during an Emergency Meeting at the DENREU Conference Room, DENR Compound, Visayas Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City.


(SIGNED)
DENREU Board of Directors

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Memo on the Non-Attendance in the Flag Raising Ceremony on September 15, 2008

Several DENR Employees are bothered with the issuance of controversial memoranda by Undersecretary Mary Ann Lucille L. Sering imposing the penalty of reprimand to those who failed to attend the flag raising ceremony on September 15, 2008.

For the information of our readers, below is the text of the said memorandum:

MEMORANDUM

TO: THE FOLLOWING (Name of Office) PERSONNEL
(Names enumerated)

FROM: The Undersecretary for Administration, Finance and Legal

SUBJECT: NON-ATTENDANCE IN THE FLAG RAISING CEREMONY ON SEPTEMBER 15, 2008

DATE:


Per the Attendance Report submitted by your office to the Personnel Division, you were not present in the Flag Ceremony on 15 September 2008.

Under existing CSC rules and regulations, non-attendance in the flag ceremony is a violation of “reasonable office rules and regulations” which falls under “Light Offenses” with the following corresponding penalties as provided for under CSC Resolution No. 991936 (Uniform Rules on Administrative cases in the Civil Service):

1st offense - Reprimand
2nd offense - Suspension 1-30 days
3rd offense - Dismissal

Foregoing considered, you are hereby meted the penalty of “Reprimand” for violation of reasonable office rules and regulations. Should you elect to appeal or explain your absence in the said ceremony, you shall write the undersigned in writing within fifteen (15) days from receipt of this Memorandum. This Memorandum shall form part of your 201 File.

For your information.


(SIGNED)
ATTY. MARY ANN LUCILLE L. SERING

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