MORE NEWS, ISABELA

Isabela board okays 10% wage increase
ILAGAN, Isabela – Besides the usual yearend bonuses, provincial government workers are assured of early Yuletide perks after the provincial board passed a resolution for a 10-percent salary increase in their monthly take home pay.

Vice Gov. Ramon Reyes, who also presides over the board that approved the increase earlier this week, said the increase, which will be retroactive to July this year, was in line with President Arroyo’s executive order for salary increases of government workers.

Earlier, Ms Arroyo authorized all national government agencies and local government units to have a 10-percent increase in the salaries of their employees amid the then steady increase in oil prices.

“Had we not been able to pass the resolution, we wouldn’t have been able to make it retroactive to July. If we pass it next year, it would only be retroactive to January 2009,” Reyes said.

Last year, the provincial government’s more than 1,200 regular workers received P15,000 each as part of their yearend benefits on top of other government-mandated bonuses, while provincial executives, including the governor, vice governor and heads of offices got P20,000 each. – CL