Sen Estrada calls for new round of salary hikes for gov workers

Senator Jinggoy Estrada on Monday called for a new round of salary hikes for government workers and suggested an executive order if his proposed Salary Standardization Law VI (SSL VI) is not approved by Congress.

Estrada, who chairs the Senate committee on labor, employment, and human resources development, noted that former President Benigno Aquino III issued EO No. 201 in 2016 to implement salary increases when Congress failed to pass a new SSL.

The senator expects the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to present a comprehensive study on providing additional salary increments for government workers during budget deliberations, as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has directed Cabinet members to review minimum wage rates across the country.

Under Estrada's SSL VI bill, which he filed in March, government employees under the lowest salary grade will receive monthly pay increases ranging from P15,158 to P20,175 over four tranches.

Economic managers have already anticipated allocating funds for salary restructuring in the 62025 national budget due to rising living costs.