City to implement salary standardization

THE Bacolod City government has expressed confidence that it will implement the Salary Standardization Law (SSL), which would impose 12 to 35 percent salary increase benefiting all government employees.

Mayor Evelio Leonardia said Monday the City Government is ready to implement the law as ordered by the President.

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The mayor noted that in 2007 and 2008, the City Government has implemented the 10 percent across-the-board salary increase for the city employees.

"Because we always see to it that every budget hearing, we anticipate Malacañang relative to this," said Leonardia.

Leonardia said that salary increase as proposed in 2009 "will be implemented (starting) this January 2010."

Under the Salary Standardization Number 3, the city has already appropriated P44-million budget for the whole year.

The said increase, however, would vary on the salary rate or grade of a city employee, Leonardia noted, adding that the City Government officials are happy to give the employees of what is due them.

"Since before, it's always the policy of the administration as long there's a legal basis and available funds. Our employees' benefits are always the administration's priority," said Leonardia.

Likewise, Human Resource Department Head Arman Aguirre said the salary increase for the government employees is based on the Executive Order 811 of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, which calls for the implementation of the SSL.

The Department of Budget and Management, Aguirre said, has prepared the salary increase scheduled for the local government units (LGUs) to follow when implementing the SSL.