Men, women in uniform to get higher allowances with just one more plenary reading, Trillanes says

From InterAksyon (Oct 23): Men, women in uniform to get higher allowances with just one more plenary reading, Trillanes says

Just one more plenary reading and the proposed measure to increase the "quarters allowance" of men and women in uniform will soon become law, Senator Antonio Trillanes said on Tuesday.

Under committee report No. 3 carrying Senate bill No. 480 which Trillanes and Sen. Juan Edgardo "Sonny" Angara co-authored, the "quarters allowance" of officers and enlisted personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will surge by nearly nine times.

Currently, enlisted personnel receive anywhere from P400 to P525 quarters allowance. Once passed into law, they will receive P5,000 or upwards, depending on their rank, the bill said.

Military officers carrying the rank of second lieutenant to colonel who receive P600 quarters allowance are proposed to be given P10,000--a nearly 16-fold increase--and generals who currently receive P1,500 are expected to receive P15,000, a 900-percent increase.

The “subsistence allowance” of military and policemen and the uniformed personnel of the DILG and cadets of the PNPA, under committee report No. 4, is proposed to be increased from the measly P90 daily to P150 effective July 1, 2014. Trillanes noted that the said allowance is very low by any standard and clearly inadequate for the purpose it is intended.

Trillanes said that the measure intends to boost the morale of soldiers, police officers, and uniformed personnel of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) including members of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), and cadets of the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA).

"This is one of the measures that we hope to pass as a way of recognizing the sacrifices of the military personnel for this country, and also as a way of instituting reforms.
With decent pay and adequate benefits, we believe that we will be able to further motivate the officers and enlisted personnel of the AFP to continue their faithful, loyal and dedicated service to the country,” the chair of the committee on national defense and security said in his sponsorship speeches.

“Mr. President, we demand so much from the members of the AFP. During times of calamity and crisis, we expect them to be at the front lines in the rescue, relief and rehabilitation efforts. In case of external threats, we expect them to defend our country and our people despite of their rudimentary, inadequate and antiquated equipment,” he added.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/73278/men-women-in-uniform-to-get-higher-allowances-with-just-one-more-plenary-reading-trillanes-says