JAN 20, 2016

NR # 4085

Speaker Belmonte says lawmakers determined to pass

Salary Standardization Law (SSL) 2015
Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Jr. has stressed that lawmakers are determined to pass the
proposed Salary Standardization Law (SSL) of 2015, as he said the House of Representatives is
looking forward to the start of the bicameral conference meeting on the measure.
The SSL 2015 is something the senators and we, know we have to pass. In the interest of
employees, we are determined that the bill passes both houses, said the Speaker.
The House of Representatives approved on third and final reading last December 9, 2015
House Bill 6268 or the SSL 2015 principally authored by the Speaker, which modifies the
compensation and position classification system of civilian government personnel and the base
pay schedule of military and uniformed personnel in the government to be implemented in four
tranches, starting Jan. 1, 2016.
The Senate approved its own version, Senate Bill 2671, on third and final reading on Jan.
18, 2016. Sen. Antonio Trillanes said the bill includes in the coverage of the salary increase
retirees from the military and police and other uniformed personnel.
The budget for the coverage of the military and police retirees has not been included in the
P57.9 billion appropriation for the original SSL 2015 bill endorsed by the Department of Budget
and Management (DBM). The P57.9 billion budget has been included in the General
Appropriations Act (GAA) of 2016.
Remember that the basic SSL 2015 is included in the GAA 2016. If the Senate will add to
it, that will be another law, said the Speaker.
Rep. Isidro T. Ungab (3rd District, Davao City), chairman of the House appropriations
committee said the target date for the bicameral conference committee meeting on the SSL 2015
is on January 27, 2016 to be held at the Senate.
The House appropriations committee will study the Senate version once we get a copy of
the measure, said Ungab.
Budget and Management Secretary Florencio Abad earlier said the SSL 2015 will be
effected through a combination of a salary increase, a 14th month pay, and an enhanced
performance-based bonus to be implemented over a four-year period, from January 1, 2016 to
January 1, 2019.
The funding requirements for the succeeding compensation adjustments are: second
tranche, P54.3 billion; third tranche, P65.9 billion; and fourth tranche, P47.5 billion. (30) rbb