Government employees whose fourth tranche of salary increase this year has been delayed by the impasse over the 2019 national budget may actually receive their much-awaited pay hike through an executive order to be issued by President Duterte. Acting Budget Secretary and officer in charge Janet Abuel told media after Wednesday’s Development Budget Coordination Committee meeting that an executive order will allow the government to disburse the salary adjustments in case the reenacted budget continues to drag. ADVERTISEMENTThis was contrary to an earlier pronouncement by former budget chief and now Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno who said that only with the 2019 appropriations can the government implement the salary hike mandated under Executive Order No. But Abuel said the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) was still hopeful that the 2019 general appropriations act will be approved ahead of the EO issuance. Following Abuel’s pronouncement that the DBM had submitted to the President the draft EO to implement the salary hike, Andaya said: “It seems that this time around, public service has taken over pride.”Read NextLATEST STORIESMOST READ

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer March 14, 2019 21:00 UTC