This is good news for those serving in the police and military.
Uniformed personnel will soon start to receive higher salaries after President Rodrigo Duterte approved a joint resolution by congress modifying their base pay.
The Palace released a copy of Joint Resolution No. 1, approved by congress in December and the president on Jan. 1, showing the updated list of the monthly base pay of the police, military, and other uniformed personnel.
Under the joint resolution, which took effect Jan. 1, an entry-level uniformed officer – Police/Fire/Jail Officer 1, a Private, an Apprentice Seaman, or a Seaman Third Class- who used to receive a base pay of PHP14,834 (US$296) shall receive PHP29,668 (US$593) this year.
The joint resolution prescribes a two-tranche increase in 2018 and 2019, while some of the ranks will retain their base pay in the implementation of the modified pay schedule in 2019.
The chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police, who both have a current base pay of PHP67,500 (US$1,350), will receive PHP121,143 (US$2,422) monthly in 2018 and P149,785 (US$2,995.7) in 2019.
The resolution said there is a need to increase the compensation of military and other uniformed personnel “in order to make it more commensurate with their critical role in maintaining national security and peace and order.”
The resolution also repeals the provision of Executive Order No. 201, signed by former President Benigno Aquino III, which granted military and other uniformed personnel a monthly provisional allowance and monthly officers’ allowance to supplement their compensation.
The hazard pay, meanwhile, shall now be fixed at PHP540 (US$10.80).
Doubling the salary of soldiers, policemen, and other uniformed personnel has been a repeated promise of President Rodrigo Duterte, who has been rallying support from the police and military for his war on drugs.
With salaries of uniformed personnel now doubled, the president said yesterday that he would also increase the salaries of public school teachers.
with a report from ABS-CBN News
