THE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has clarified the coverage of the second tranche of salary increases for government workers this month.
National Budget Circular No. 597 lays down the implementation of the updated salary schedule for civilian workers based on Executive Order (EO) No. 64, which was signed in August 2024.
“In continuation of the promise of our President, we will implement this January 2025 the second part of the salary increase for our government employees,” Budget Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman said in a statement on Wednesday.
The circular was applied to government workers in the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary; constitutional commissions and offices; state universities and colleges; and government-owned or -controlled corporations (GOCC) not covered by the GOCC Governance Act of 2011 and EO No. 150.
Military and uniformed personnel and government agencies that are exempted from the Revised Compensation and Position Classification System will not be covered by the pay increase.
It also excludes workers without an employer-employee relationship and funded by nonpersonnel service budgets.
“The amounts required for the salary adjustment of the civilian government personnel in fiscal year 2025 shall be charged against the miscellaneous personnel benefit fund and any available appropriations under the 2025 General Appropriations Act, subject to budgeting, accounting and auditing rules and regulations,” the DBM said.
For state-run companies covered by the circular, the amount for the salary increases will be provided by their operating budgets.
“Conversely, the DBM wishes to highlight that the guidelines applicable to local government units shall be covered by a separate circular,” it said.
The circular noted that the updated salary schedule for civilian personnel will be enforced in four tranches from 2024 to 2027. — Aubrey Rose A. Inosante