LABOR WATCH

GMA's P1,000 monthly allowance for government workers:
Too Little and Too Late

When President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo pushed for her “Valentine Gift” of P13.1 billion for 1.4 million government workers last Jan. 19, it took the House of Representatives—known for its snail-paced action on wage hike bills – only two weeks to pass House Bill (HB) 5013 allotting a P13.1-billion supplemental budget for a P1,000 monthly allowance for public sector employees. While HBs 1064 and 0345 remain pending in Congress, government employees say they will continue with their five-year struggle for a P3,000 across-the-board salary hike in the parliament of the streets this February 14.

BY LISA ITO
Bulatlat

THUMBS DOWN: Public health workers protest lay-offs of government workers and demand an across-the-board wage hike at a Feb. 10 press conference in Quezon City    PHOTO BY TAMMY DE CASTRO

When President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo pushed for her “Valentine Gift” of P13.1 billion for 1.4 million government workers last Jan. 19, it took the House of Representatives—known for its snail-paced action on wage hike bills – only two weeks to pass House Bill (HB) 5013 allotting a P13.1-billion supplemental budget for a P1,000 monthly allowance for public sector employees. Voting 173-3, the Lower House approved HB 5013 amid demands of government workers’ unions for a P3,000 across-the-board salary hike, and clarifications from solons saying that the amelioration scheme was flawed, deceptive, and grossly insufficient.

Shortly after its speedy passage, the P1,000 monthly allowance scheme continues to draw fire and discontent from its supposed beneficiaries: government workers and the toiling masses themselves.

A drop in the bucket

“Kuna tatanungin ninyo ako, kulang [itong allowance]. Lalo na at may papasok na sa college ang aking panganay” (If you'll ask me, this allowance isn't enough. Especially since my eldest child will be going to college)” says Vic Manglapus, an electronics technician with the rank of Legislative Staff Assistant (LSA)-2, Salary Grade 10.

Manglapus, 45 years old, has been an employee at the House of Representatives since 1978.  He earns a basic monthly salary of P11,800 as a technician in charge of operating and troubleshooting the sound system used during committee hearings.

“Kahit papaano nagkakasya, pero kulang na kulang pa rin” (With it we can somehow make ends meet, but still it’s not enough), he says of his salary.

Manglapus' wife is also a government employee at the Social Security Service. They have two children studying at a private Catholic school, aged 16 and 14 years old. He says that any increase or additional allowance will go to his children's schooling expenses.

COURAGE President Ferdinand Gaite, however, estimates that the P1,000 allowance amounts to a daily increase of P45.50 only.

Gaite says that this 'increase' is ultimately insignificant because of the rising costs of living. The actual cost of living for a Filipino family of six is pegged at around P16,000 per month (or a national average of P534.80 a day) to P19,505 per month (or P650.17 per day) in the National Capital Region, according to a 2006 study by the Institute of Political Economy. 

“Ang P1,000, isang pamili lang iyon sa grocery. Parang nilibre ka lang ng almusal araw-araw. Pero para sa iyo lang iyon, hindi pa kasama doon ang pamilya mo,” (The P1,000 is only worth one trip to the grocery store. Or a free breakfast every day for yourself, excluding the rest of your family.) says Diosdado Salazar, 41 years old, also an electronics technician at Congress with a rank of LSA-2.

A former overseas Filipino worker (OFW) in Saudi Arabia, Salazar started working as a government employee in 2002. His wife stays at home in Pulilan, Bulacan, to attend to their two children, aged 10 and four, both in elementary school.

Like other average government employees (such as public school teachers and Salary Grade 10 personnel), Salazar earns around P10,000 a month as the breadwinner of his family

Come pay day, he hands over his entire earnings to his wife to budget.

“Binibigyan ako ni misis ng P500 na budget kada linggo, bale, P2,000 kada buwan mula sa sahod ko, (My wife gives me a personal budget of P500 each week, that's P2,000 per month' he says. The remaining P8,000 left for his family's expenses is augmented by a monthly remittance of P1,000 from a relative in Japan.

He says any additional allowance is too small, but will nevertheless be used for his daily expenses at work.  

“Kahit dagdagan ng P1,000 na alawans, kulang pa ito. Pero siyempre, hindi ko ito tatanggihan” (Even an additional P,1000 is not enough. But of course, I won’t refuse it), Salazar says.

Manglapus and Salazar, however, are luckier than other government employees at the bottom level of the public sector's wage bracket. The minimum gross pay of a Salary Grade 1 employee amounts to only P5,082 pesos a month. Their fellow workers in Congress, such as Utility Aides (UAs) earn a salary of around seven to eight thousand.

Too little and too late

The P1,000 allowance is too little and too late, government employees say. Gaite also underscored that the allowance was barely enough to cover the inflationary effects of the Reformed Value Added Tax on the costs of goods and services.

“A P45.00 daily increase is inconsequential. Lalamunin lang iyon ng dagdag na RVAT sa mga bilihin at serbisyo” (It will only absorb the RVAT-related increases on goods and services), Gaite said. 

“Ang masakit pa, hindi nilagay sa salary yang allowance. Ang allowance kasi, anytime pwedeng alisin. Hindi rin madadagdagan ang retirement benefits mo. Hindi ito pabor sa aming mga empleyado,” (What's painful is that the allowance wasn't made part of our salaries. It won't have any positive bearing on our retirement benefits. It does not work to the benefit of us employees), Manglapus adds.

HB 5013's proponents previously said that an increase in the form of an allowance would be more beneficial as it would not be subjected to withholding tax and other deductions.

Gaite, however, pointed out that there are other benefits that are directly proportional to any increase in basic pay.  In the long-run, an increase in the basic bay will do far more for the economic welfare of our public workers than an increase in the form of an allowance, he said.

No Guarantee

Around half a million government employees from government-owned and/or controlled corporations (GOCCs) and Local Government Units (LGUs) also stand to be silently deprived of the Arroyo administration's much-publicized allowance.

While HB 5013 gives GOCCs and LGUs the authority to grant this allowance, this discretion is based on the availability of their respective funds.

GOCCs employ around 94,000 government workers, while LGUs employ around 390,000 workers.

Gaite maintains that there is no guarantee for GOCC and LGU employees that they will indeed be receiving the allowance if its distribution is based on the availability of local funds. This is particularly true for lower class municipalities and perennially cash-strapped government units.

Workers from the public health sector are likewise angered over this. In a press conference, the Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) protested the exclusion of employees from GOCCs and LGUs in the payment of the promised amount.

“If the Arroyo government is indeed sincere in giving relief to government employees, the promised pay hike should be given as an increase in salaries, not just allowance. Based on our experience, allowances can be withdrawn anytime the government wants to stop giving it,” said Emma Manuel, an x-ray technologist and AHW National President.

“Kakarampot  na nga ito, pinipili pa kung sino ang bibigyan” (This is already a very small amount and those who are to receive it are only a select few), Manuel says of the allowance.

The AHW scored the government for continuing to flaunt the P1,000 allowance while condoning the continuing delays of the Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) for health workers under the Department of Health and LGUs, and million-peso budget cuts on health and education spending.

“The touted P1,000 monthly allowance for government employees may just be a trick to calm down protesting government employees,” Manuel said.

Tightening budgets

The promised P45.50 per day increase, while acknowledged as a partial relief to government employees, will not mean much for workers who are perennially scrimping on their tight budgets.

Anakpawis Rep. Crispin Beltran noted that the allowance was way below the proposed P3,000-peso across-the-board salary hike bill for all government workers, which has long been pending in Congress. The last wage increase for the public sector was in 2001.

The gap between salaries and costs of living has greatly widened through the decades. Manglapus says his monthly salary of P800 from 1978 to 1982 was still sufficient to meet his family's needs then. “Noon, ang galunggong ay mga P0.50 kada kilo, mas marami ka pang nabibili noon kumpara sa halaga ng sahod at ng galunggong ngayon” (Galunggong used to be worth only P0.50 per kilo and  you can buy many things with that amount), he says.

“Ang grocery noon na nagkakahalaga ng P2,000 ay good for one and a half to two months. Pero ngayon, isang supot na lang ng mga bilihin ang katumbas ng ganoong halaga. Lahat ng kilos mo ngayon ay naka-budget” (P2,000 worth of groceries then were good for one and a half to two months. But now you can only get one bag of groceries for the same amount. You really have to scrimp these days), he says.

To save on food expenses, Manglapus rarely buys meals from the Congress canteen and instead chips in with his co-workers to buy and cook food for themselves.

“Yung sweldo namin, kukulangin kung hindi ka magbabaon. Minsan, dito na kami nagluluto para makatipid. Magpapatak para sa isang kilong isda para sa aming lahat, hanggang hapon na iyon” (Our salary would not be enough for us unless we brought our own food to work. Sometimes we cook here to save. We would chip in for a kilo of fish for all of us, which would last us the whole day), he says.

Manglapus also says that government employees are forced to borrow money every once in a while.

“Hindi maaalis sa empleyado ang manghiram, lalo na kapag final exams na ng mga anak namin” (You can’t blame employees for borrowing money, especially when it’s time for our kids to take their final exams), he says.

Salazar, meanwhile, goes home to his family only on weekends. To save on transportation, Salazar stays with his brother in Quezon City. The trip back and forth to Bulacan costs around P120 to P130 a day. Commuting to his brother's place from work costs only P15 a day if Salazar manages to catch the free ride in the HOR employees' shuttle service.

Salazar sometimes feels pressured by mass media to consume fast food items. “Hindi mo naman pwedeng pakainin ng kamote lagi ang mga anak mo. Uso kasi ngayon ang pizza at Jollibee. Kung hindi mo sila ipapatikim ng mga ito, magiging inosente naman sila” (You can’t always feed your children sweet potato. It’s common these days to be eating pizza and Jollibee products. If they don’t get to taste those, they’d end up being ignorant), he says.

He acknowledges the efforts of his wife to manage the family budget of P8,000. “Matipid si misis. Ang luho niya ay mabili ng maayos na gamit ang mga bata” (My wife is thrifty. What she wants is to be able to buy the things our children need), he says.

Salazar prays that no one in their family will be ill. While their medical expenses are partly augmented by discounts from Medicard and Fortune Care cards, Salazar says that these do not provide enough financial protection.

“Pwede mong ipasok sa government hospital. Pero ang gamot pa rin ang mahal” (You can always have them treated in a government hospital. But medicines are very costly), he says.

Remy Ysmael, President of the Tondo Medical Center Association-AHW agrees. She said that government hospitals are generally free as far as receipts and physician's check-ups are concerned, but patients will still have to shoulder the often expensive costs of medicines.

Rising Apprehensions

In the long-run, a P1,000 allowance will not alleviate the government employees' economic woes.

Manglapus, for instance, remains apprehensive over the rising costs of tuition. “Since last year, hindi ko alam kung dapat ba akong maging excited o kakabahan dahil papasok na sa college ang aking anak”( I’ve been confused since last year as to whether or not I should be excited that my daughter is on her way to college), he says. He is relieved that his eldest daughter has been accepted into a relatively-inexpensive private college.

“Kung sa FEU o UST, mga P38,000 per semester ang tuition. Bilang technician, hindi ko kakayanin ang ganong halag] kahit hulug-hulugan ko pa ito” (If she enrolls at Far Eastern University or the University of Santo Tomas, we would be spending some P38,000 per semester for tuition. As a technician I can’t afford such an amount even by installment), he says.

Manglapus dreads the thought of having to go abroad, the way many of his colleagues did, just to earn enough money for his children's education.

“Since last year, napapansin ko na hindi tumatagal ang empleyado dahil nag-aabroad. Halos lahat ng mga dating officemates ko dito sa Batasan ay nasa abroad na” Since last year, I have noticed that employees here don’t last long in their jobs because they eventually go abroad. Most of my former officemates here at the Batasan have gone abroad), he says.

Manglapus is determined to stay in the Philippines, and finance his children's tertiary education through his salary as a technician.

“Ginagapang ko para makagraduate sila. Para hindi nila maranasan ang naranasan ko. Wala na akong maipapamana sa kanila kundi ang edukasyon nila. Kapag naka-graduate na sila at naka-akyat sa stage, ako na siguro ang pinakamasayang ama sa balat ng lupa,” (I am doing everything so they would graduate. So they won’t go through what I’ve been through. I have nothing to leave them with except their education. When they graduate and march on the stage, I would be the happiest father in the world), he says.

Salazar, too, wishes to remain in the Philippines after working as an OFW in Saudi for eight years. He also tried earning a living as an FX and jeepney driver before applying at Congress. Having seen the hardships of irregular and contractual work, Salazar treasures the relative security that a regular job as a government employee brings. He, however, remains apprehensive over the lack of substantial wage increases.

“Sa totoo lang, gusto ko na rin dito [sa trabaho ko sa Kongreso]. Hindi ko lang alam kung ganon pa rin ang sentimiyento ko kapag lumaki ang mga anak ko. Kapag hindi ko na kaya silang buhayin, baka mag-aabroad ulit ako” (I have honestly come to love my job here in Congress. I just don’t know for sure if I’d still feel the same way when my children grow older. When I can no longer provide well for them, I will go back abroad), he says.

Call for P3,000 wage hike still stands

All agree that a substantial wage hike for workers in the public and private sector remains the best way to immediately alleviate the economic crunch on the lives of workers nationwide.

Gaite views the P1,000 allowance as a small step forward for the public sector struggle for just wages and benefits, but emphasizes that a significant wage increase is still the primary solution to uplift the lives of government employees nationwide.

“Maraming paraan para palakihin ang take-home pay ng mga kawani, pero basic na usapin pa rin ang wage increase. Hindi kami sumasang-ayon na ang igagawad na umento ay sa allowance lang matatali” (There are many ways to increase employees’ take-home pay, but the issue of increasing wages remains the more basic question. An allowance raise is not enough for us), he says.

“Siyempre, sa pagtaas ng sahod [ang sagot]. Yung P3,000 na panawagan, ayos na rin. Malaking tulong pa rin ito. Saan naman namin pupulutin ang ganong halaga ngayon?” (Of course the answer lies in a wage increase. The call for a P3,000 wage increase is fine. That would help us a lot. Where would we get such an amount these days?) Salazar says, when asked about what the solution to his family's hardships. 

Rep. Beltran said that HBs 1064 and 0345, which are for a legislated P3,000 and P125 across-the-board nationwide wage hike for workers in the public and private sectors, respectively, are among 12 House Bills proposed by Anakpawis, Bayan Muna, and Gabriela that will provide immediate economic relief.

These are the bills that should be passed by Congress as an urgent poverty-alleviation measure, he said.

While HBs 1064 and 0345 remain pending in Congress, government employees say they will continue with their five-year struggle for a P3,000 across-the-board salary hike in the parliament of the streets this February 14. Bulatlat

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