TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES First Regular Session AUG -6 A10 :27 SENATE RECEIVED S S. No. 1008 Introduced by Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada AN ACT INCREASING COMPENSATION OF SOCIAL WORKERS IN GOVERNMENT SERVICE, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NUMBER 9433, ENTITLED, "AN ACT PROVIDING FOR A MAGNA CARTA FOR PUBLIC SOCIAL WORKERS" EXPLANATORY NOTE The State shall promote and improve the social and economic well-being of public social workers, their living and working conditions, and terms of employment. It shall develop their skills and capabilities to make them more responsive to the needs and problems of their clients and better equip them in delivering social services and programs. The State shall likewise encourage those with proper qualifications and excellent abilities to apply and remain in social development work in government sector. The Filipino public social workers are the backbone in the delivery of the Philippine social welfare, protection and development mandate. They are also in the front line of the promotion of the interests of the most vulnerable sectors in Filipino demographics - our children, juveniles, women, elderlies and seniors, persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples and our urban poor. We rely on our social workers in the fulfillment of the complex roles needed in the implementation, administration, coordination, facilitation and monitoring of important programs on social protection, poverty-alleviation, domestic and inter-country adoption, disaster response and
rehabilitation, crises management, drug prevention and control and other equally- important projects and services on bridging the poverty gap and improving the lives and the livelihood of most Filipino families. With the myriad of essential and critical responsibilities, our public social workers are overburdened and underpaid. Unfortunately, those passionately working hard to alleviate poverty and provide care and comfort to our suffering population, down at family level, are the one's stricken with poverty, overworked and less appreciated. With the ongoing poverty, the rising inflation and with more families needing social welfare and protection services and development interventions, we have to take care of our public social workers who are tirelessly fulfilling this gargantuan and valuable role in the Philippine society. It is for this reason that we wanted to extend care, assistance and appreciation to the Filipino social workers including those whose services are engaged through job orders or contracts of services by mandating the increase of their salary in accordance to the existing law on the salary scale of government employees In this light, the immediate passage of this bill is highly recommended. JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA
TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES First Regular Session 25 AUG -6 A10 :27 SENATE RECL S. No. 1008 Introduced by Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada AN ACT INCREASING COMPENSATION OF SOCIAL WORKERS IN GOVERNMENT SERVICE, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NUMBER 9433, ENTITLED, "AN ACT PROVIDING FOR A MAGNA CARTA FOR PUBLIC SOCIAL WORKERS" Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:
Section 1. Section 3 (c) of Republic Act No. 9433, otherwise known as the
"Magna Carta for Public Social Workers", is hereby amended to read as follows: "Sec. 3. Definition of Terms. — As used in this Act, the following shall mean as follows: "(a) xxx "(b) XXX "(c) 'Public Social Worker' - refers to [registered social worker employed in the] CIVILIAN government service PERSONNEL WHOSE POSITION REQUIRES AT LEAST A BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN SOCIAL WORK, AND REGISTRATION OR LICENSE AS A SOCIAL WORKER, WHETHER OR NOT THE POSITION TITLE CARRIES THE WORDS 'SOCIAL WELFARE', SUCH AS POSITIONS CONCERNING COMMUNITY AFFAIRS AND DEVELOPMENT, DISASTER RISK AND MANAGEMENT, GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT, LABOR AND
EMPLOYMENT, PEACE, EARLY CHILDHOOD AND DEVELOPMENT, VOLUNTEER SERVICE, YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AND ASSISTANCE TO VETERANS; "X XX."
Sec. 2. Section 4 of the same Act is hereby amended to read as follows:
"Sec. 4. Coverage. - This Act shall cover all registered social workers in government service, INCLUDING THOSE WHOSE SERVICES ARE ENGAGED THROUGH JOB ORDERS OR CONTRACT OF SERVICE."
Sec. 3. Section 12 of the same Act is hereby amended or read as follows:
"Sec. 12. Compensation. - The [existing] APPLICABLE laws, RULES OR REGULATIONS ON salary scales of government employees shall apply in determining the salaries of public social workers[-]: PROVIDED, THAT THE SALARY GRADE OF ENTRY-LEVEL JUNIOR OFFICER PUBLIC SOCIAL WORKERS SHALL BE AT LEAST SALARY GRADE 13 WITH EQUIVALENT MONTHLY SALARY AS PRESCRIBED IN THE EXISTING APPLICABLE MODIFIED SALARY SCHEDULE FOR CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES: PROVIDED HOWEVER, THAT NOTHING IN THIS ACT SHALL BE CONSTRUED TO ELIMINATE OR IN ANY WAY DIMINISH BENEFITS BEING ENJOYED BY PUBLIC SOCIAL WORKERS AT THE TIME OF THE EFFECTIVITY OF THIS ACT: PROVIDED, FURTHER, THAT in case of violations of this provision, the public social worker concerned shall file the necessary complaint to the CSC or NLRC through the Social Work Management and Consultative Council."
Sec. 4. The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) is authorized to
adjust the salary grades of public social worker positions in government as reflected in the policies formulated by the Social Work Management and Consultative under the Index of Occupational Services, Occupational Groups, Classes and Salary Grades,
1 pursuant to DBM Budget Circular 2018-4 and other pertinent laws, rules, regulations 2 and issuances.
Sec. 5. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof is held invalid or
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision or part not otherwise affected shall remain valid and subsisting.
Sec. 6. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive
7 order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule, or regulation contrary to or 8 inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, modified, or amended 9 accordingly.
Sec. 7. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. Approved,