No mention of pay hike for gov't workers in proposed 2024 budget: groups

MANILA — Various groups of government workers held a picket on Thursday to press for a salary increase at the House of Representatives as the chamber began to deliberate on the proposed 2024 national budget.

The groups noted that there was no mention of a salary increase for them in both the State of the Nation Address (SONA) and the 2024 National Expenditure Program (NEP).

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Inside the Batasang Pambansa, Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said nothing about a salary increase for state workers as she pitched the administration's P5.768 trillion budget to the House Appropriations Committee.

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Pangandaman explained that the operating expenses of the government took up the bulk of the budget.

"The Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses will cover the bulk of the proposed budget next year at P2.156 trillion or about 37.4 percent of the total budget," Pangandaman said.

"This is mainly composed of the total operating requirements of the line departments, particularly the implementation of social programs. This also includes the allocations to local government units and budgetary support to government corporations," she added.

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Pangandaman said that while most of the budget would be allocated across the regions, a significant chunk would remain under nationwide and central office allocations.

Currently, several minimum wage hike petitions are pending before regional wage boards. A proposed P150 national minimum wage increase was also proposed in both houses of Congress.