MANILA: Senators will try to pass the proposed salary hike for state workers, the Bangsamoro Basic Law and customs modernization bill before Congress goes on a Christmas break starting December 19, Senate President Franklin Drilon.
“Immediately after we pass the budget, we will give the highest priority implementing law the Salary Standardization Law 4, which will now define in definite terms what is the salary scale for each salary grade of the employees in government,” Drilon told reporters.
Drilon said he is expecting the bill would be passed by December so it will be implemented by January next year.
It has been three years since the last tranche of the SSL 3 was completed.
The total allocation for the proposed SSL 4 is P225.8 billion, which will be given to all government workers in four years.
Some P50.7 billion, which will be taken from the Miscellaneous Personnel Benefit Fund, will be allotted in the first year.
Drilon said the Senate would also continue the interpellation on the draft BBL after tackling the proposed salary hike.
Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile is the last senator who would interpellate on the committee report submitted by Senate local government committee chairman Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
“Assuming there will be no longer senator who will interpellate, afterwards, we will go in the period of amendments. We still have time. We have about December 1 to December 18,” Enrile said.
The Senate, Drilon said, would also give priority to the proposed Customs modernization Tariff Act (CMTA), which seeks to simplify, modernize and align the country’s Customs procedure with global practices.
The proposed CMTA will amend and update the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines.
The measure will mandate the use of information and communications technology and other appropriate applications to speed up the inner-working of Customs, and clearly define the exercise of customs police authority, customs jurisdiction, and customs control by specifying the functions of the Bureau of Customs.
