ANGELES City Mayor Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin, Jr. has ordered the Local Finance Committee and Human Resources and Management Office (HMRO) to adopt the salary increase for Nurse II position released by Malacañang starting January 2022.

According to City Budget Officer Corazon Ayson, the increase is based on the revised Budget Circular No. 2020-4, specifically raising the salary grade of Nurse II to P3,093 -- from Salary Grade 15 (P33,535) to Salary Grade 16 (P36,628) -- and reverting the positions of the other nurses to their original positions.

Ayson recalled that in 2020, based on the initial circular released, the nurse entry positions were adjusted.

The positions of the affected 19 permanent nurses in the City Health Office (CHO) and Rafael Lazatin Memorial Medical Center (RLMMC) were altered one step back.

“Eight nurses assigned at the CHO and 11 at the RLMMC will be affected by the said revised Budget Circular No. 2020-4,” Ayson said.

Out of the 19 nurses, six of them will have a salary increase of P3,093 – from P33,535 to P36,628 – or those nurses who will be in the entry position of Nurse II. The remaining 13 nurses will retain their positions with the corresponding salary grades.

“Ma-aadjust po ulit yung mga entry positions ng nurses natin beginning next year, mayroon pong tataas ang sahod at mayroon naman din pong babalik sa original nilang posisyon,” she added.

“Ito po ay bilang pagsunod natin sa naging direktiba ng national government,” Lazatin said, as he gave the said instructions in his Memorandum No. 951, Series of 2021, released last June 8, 2021.

“Aside from adapting this modification, our city government will continue to provide programs that address and safeguard our health workers who have been sacrificing their lives amid the pandemic,” Lazatin said.

“We will ensure their benefits and that they also receive better health care,” he added.

Earlier in January 2021, 111 nurses at the RLMMC – 19 permanent, 4 casual, and 88 Contract of Service (COS) status – started to receive their P12,000 salary increase.

In August 2020, the city government had allocated P10 million for the immediate release of the Special Risk Allowance for city health workers handling Covid-19 patients. The health workers received their SRA last October, amounting to 50 percent of their monthly salary. They were also afforded free lodging, which allowed them to isolate themselves, while performing their duties. (PR)