TACLOBAN CITY- The Department of Budget and Management has released on Friday(July 17) the budget circular that will finally implement the Salary Grade 15 entry-level salary of nurses working in the government.
An Waray Rep.Florencio Noel said that it is important that the compensation of the health workers are adjusted for them to live based on the current economic situation.
“It is important that we now adjust the compensation of our health care workers” the lawmaker said.
Noel informed that the DBM Budget Circular No. 2020-4 entitled Upgrading the Entry Level Nurse Positions was issued to prescribe the rules and regulations on the upgrading of the entry-level nurse positions to SG15 as well as to highlight the administrative procedure in view of the consequential modification in the position attributes of the nurse items.
“This is a good start with our nurses in government service. During these difficult times, our nurses play a vital role in preventing the spread of coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19),”added Noel.
With the release of the circular, the government nurses in Nurse I positions get 4 SGs upgrade, from SG 11 to SG 15. Under the current Salary Standardization Law which took effect January of this year, SG15 is at P32, 053.
The upgrade of salary covers all nurse positions, whether regular, casual, or contractual in nature, full-time or part-time, now existing or hereafter created in the national government agencies (NGAs), including SUCs and GOCCs, and in LGUs.
The adjustment was made in compliance with the Supreme Court decision upholding the Republic Act 9173 or The Philippine Nursing Act of 2002 which says that government nurses must receive minimum base pay of not lower than SG15.
Congress supported the decision of the Supreme Court by earmarking P3 billion in the General Appropriation Act of 2020 or the national budget, for its implementation.
In the Circular, DBM orders the head of agencies and local chief executives to implement the salary adjustment. The circular shall take effect immediately.
(LIZBETH ANN A.ABELLA)
