Government employees are bitter

Posted on March 27, 2006 - Filed Under Punch Forum |

Name withheld upon request
Pangasinan
phheraldx@yahoo.com.ph
March 27, 2006

Sunday Punch,

We, the Provincial Employees at Capitol, Lingayen, Pangasinan are requesting to demand the release of our benefits due to Administrative Order No. 144. Since, from the past 9 years where Gov. Victor E. Agbayani elected by the people of Pangasinan, we’ve only experience a wage hike once, yes once. Consider that the standard of living has gone too way as what we have expected, the oil price hike, fare increase, commodity raised for nearly 30% since 1999 (Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism). The only thing why our salary changes from our service records was owed to our step increment methods. Lets take some figure below:

- Where a Clerk II permanent only receives P82,000 annually this present year from P67,000 on 1998, it only increased for less than P1,300 a month.

This figure would eventually mark the point that we’re only receiving below minimum wage. On the national government, salary has increased 3 times since 1998 (Department of Budget). Meetings have been made by the department heads of the Provincial Government and according to the Provincial Budget Officer, Mrs. Hillaria J. Claveria, they have to search first where they can acquire the funding for the said P1,000 increase on allowance (ADCOM). But consider this, January 2006, the DBM already directed the Province that all Departments must allocate additional changes before creating the 2006 Annual Budget Proposal for possible wage hike this calendar year 2006, so in case, the additional P1,000 charge against their respective funds. But prior to Section 3 of Administrative Order No. 144 which stated that “authority to adjust compensation of employees in Local Government Units (LGUs) are subject to availability of funds”, for the past years since Gov. Agbayani first elected till this year, we heard this frustrating line “subject to availability of funds” a couple of times now. How come? Pangasinan has been ranked 1st class Province for more than 10 years by the Bureau of Local Government Finance for being top collector on Real Property Tax, consider that Mr. Ramon A. Crisostomo, Provincial Treasurer of Pangasinan was among awarded as Top 1 for more than 5 years by BLGF regarding collections of various taxes. So where do these taxes go? Contractors?

We’re here just to demand what is necessary and right. Probably, they never even care what lower class feels right now. They don’t bother in the first place, its more on politics. This time, in God’s name, and politics step aside, Gov. Agbayani must mend this crisis once and for all, since this is his last term, perhaps he can do right thing for the last time, for his co-worker, for his people.

We write this to inform you the bitterness of our employees not only here at Capitol but all LGUs in the Province of Pangasinan. Perhaps media can help us regarding to this matter.

Thank you for your kind consideration.

Anonymous

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