Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

The BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal,  part of the disputed Spratly Islands.  Chiara Zambrano, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Vivienne Gulla

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/177916491431720140329-ayungin-brp-sierra-madre-CZ-1.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">The BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal, part of the disputed Spratly Islands. <em>Chiara Zambrano, ABS-CBN News/File</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — The House Committee on West Philippine Sea approved on Tuesday House Bill 8673, seeking to provide hazard pay for civilian government personnel assigned or deployed in the West Philippine Sea.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/19/marcos-sees-trump-xi-meeting-as-encouraging-sign-for-the-rest-of-the-world-1000">Marcos sees Trump-Xi meeting as ‘encouraging sign for the rest of the world’</a></div><p>The bill proposes to cover “permanents, temporary, contractual, and job order” civilian personnel from the Department of National Defense, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine Coast Guard, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, the Department of Science and Technology, and other relevant government agencies, who are performing duties in the area for maritime operations, research, monitoring, or logistical support.</p><p>Under the proposed measure, the amount or rate of the hazard pay shall be set by the government agencies, and it will be computed based on the number of days of actual exposure to hazardous duty.</p><p>It further states that the hazard pay shall be in addition to the basic salary, subsistence allowance, other benefits provided under existing laws, and are not subject to reduction of existing allowances or benefits.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/14/afp-facing-political-economic-informational-war-in-west-ph-sea-brawner-1726">Brawner: AFP facing ‘political, economic, informational’ war in West PH Sea</a></div><p>“Our researchers, administrative and logistical support staff are exposed to the same hazardous conditions as our uniformed personnel. Kaya mahalaga na mabigyan natin sila ng nararapat na pagkilala, sapat na proteksyon, at makatarungang kompensasyon tulad ng kanilang counterparts sa uniformed services,” said Akbayan party-list Rep. Percival Cendaña, who is one of the bill’s authors.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>&#x27;APPREHENSION&#x27;<br/></strong></div><div><br/></div><p>During the House committee hearing on Tuesday, the Department of Budget and Management said it will study the proposal to include the job order and contractual workers of agencies, who are deployed to the West Philippines Sea.</p><p>“For the JOs and COS po, ang apprehension lang po is hindi kasi sila government employees, and wala pong employer-employee relationship po currently. And ‘yung policies naman po ay nandyan, ‘yung longstanding policies natin, to ensure na… standard benefits po tayo across the government and hindi po magkakaroon ng distortion. However, for this bill, we will study ‘yung proposal for the inclusion of the JOs,” DBM director Trisha Baraan said.</p><p>“For the rate po, as mentioned earlier, mayroon po tayong pwedeng pagkopyahan po na mga existing na hazard pay allowance na ibinibigay ng groups, and ang ano nalang po namin is daily po siya and physically deployed and actually exposed to risk,” she added.</p><p>On the proposal of a lawmaker to include in the bill’s coverage LGU personnel performing duties in the West Philippine Sea, the DBM noted that as a general rule, their benefits should be shouldered by the local government.</p><p>“Na-mention po kanina ‘yung on the inclusion of LGU personnel. May we note po kasi, as a general rule po sa Constitution, LGU employees po ‘yan. Ang kanilang personnel benefits should be charged against the respective local budgets po, local funds,” Baraan explained.</p><p>A unified version of the bill will have to be approved on third and final reading by both Houses of Congress, and signed by the President before it becomes a law.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/19/marcos-to-tackle-china-s-gray-zone-tactics-with-japan-pm-1026">Marcos to tackle China&#x27;s gray zone tactics with Japan PM during Tokyo meeting</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO: </strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JGoOaCq_xjw?si=9WY1f4uvjb4x-Fbb" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>The House Committee on West Philippine Sea approved on Tuesday House Bill 8673, seeking to provide hazard pay for civilian government personnel assigned or deployed in the West Philippine Sea.</p>

The House Committee on West Philippine Sea approved on Tuesday House Bill 8673, seeking to provide hazard pay for civilian government personnel assigned or deployed in the West Philippine Sea.

House panel approves bill seeking hazard pay for civilian gov’t personnel deployed to WPS

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House panel approves bill seeking hazard pay for civilian gov’t personnel deployed to WPS

Vivienne Gulla,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 19, 2026 12:50 PM PHT

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