THE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) can use the P29.3 billion compensation adjustment fund in the 2021 national budget as a source of money for the backpay due to some 30,000 government nurses, party-list Rep. Mike Defensor (Anakalusugan) said yesterday.
Defensor made his recommendation in response to Malacañang’s decision to overturn DBM Circular No. 2020-4 which demoted government nurses with the ranks of 2 to 7 to one rank lower.
Defensor noted that the DBM directive retained the pay level of Nurses 3 to 7 but those ranked Nurse 2 had their basic salary decreased from SG (salary grade) 16 to SG 15, equivalent to a P3,053 less per month.
The sum referred to is officially called miscellaneous personnel benefits fund (MPBF), which Defensor said is intended “precisely for contingencies like the salary differential our nurses are entitled to.”
As the budget law states, the MPBF could be used “for deficiencies in authorized salaries, bonuses, allowances, associated premiums, and similar benefits” of government personnel.
The lawmaker said the fund is distinct from regular appropriations for salaries, which amount to about P1.3 trillion in this year’s budget.
“The DBM should implement the order of the Office of the President as soon as possible and pay the salary adjustment of our nurses. The diminution in their rank and salary was totally unnecessary in the first place,” he said.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the Department of Budget and Management is still looking for possible resources to fund the salary hike and back wages of the government nurses.
Roque said Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado is now reviewing this year’s budget of the Department of Health (DOH) to fund the salary hike.
“But for the back wages, the DBM is asking guidance because there may not be enough funding for that for now,” he said.
He said a budget allocation for the backpay of the nurses may be included in the proposed national budget for 2022 if no fund is available now.
DBM said it is now crafting the procedural guidelines to implement the Palace order and said that it will be implemented, consistent with existing rules and regulations.
“Consultations with the Department of Health (DOH) and the OP are also scheduled by the DBM to ensure the availability of funds for the purpose… Rest assured that the DBM will promptly act to implement this decision as soon as pertinent details on procedures and funding are settled with the DOH and the OP,” it said in a statement.
DEPLOYMENT CAP
The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) is studying the possibility of increasing the deployment cap of 5,000 for nurses overseas after the country breached the current limit.
In a televised public briefing, POEA Administrator Bernard Olalia admitted that they are already working on their recommendations to allow more exemptions to the deployment ceiling for healthcare workers.
“We have this recommendation for the possible expansion of the exemption so that we can be able to deploy more,” said Olalia without elaborating.
Previously, the United Kingdom (UK) has been granted exemption by the Philippine government and can now continue recruiting Filipino healthcare workers.
But in an earlier virtual media forum, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III disclosed that Germany has also sought for an exemption to the 5,000 deployment cap.
“We have a pending application from Germany for them to be exempted also in the deployment cap. And we are studying it,” Bello said.
According to Bello, Germany has previously requested for the deployment of 15,000 nurses and healthcare workers.
But aside from expanding the exemptions, Olalia bared that they are also keen on pushing for the increase of the deployment cap.
He said they are closely coordinating with other government agencies regarding the said proposal, such as the Department of Health and the Professional Regulation Commission.
Earlier, Bello already floated the possibility of increasing the deployment cap for healthcare workers.
“It is possible that we can recommend to the IATF and eventually to the President to ease the ceiling and raise it to 10,000,” said Bello.
Over the weekend, the POEA announced that the temporary deployment ban on newly-hired healthcare workers has been reimposed after the annual deployment ceiling of 5,000 was reached as of June 1. — With Jocelyn Montemayor and Gerard Naval
