By Perfecto T. Raymundo, Jr.
CLUB FILIPINO, San Juan City – Groups of state workers in Government Owned and Controlled Corporations (GOCCs) on Friday (Aug. 1) urged President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. to order the immediate implementation of CPCS-2 (Compensation and Position Classification System Part 2).
In The Agenda Forum hosted by Lolly Acosta, Nanette Jarino-Lati, President of LBPEA (Land Bank of the Philippines Employees Association), said that they are called the Government Finance Institutions (GFIs) who give part of their income in billions of pesos to the national government.
Lati is also the Executive Vice President of the National Union of Bank Employees Insurance and Finance Organizations (NUBE).
Lati said that the Corporate Governance for GOCCs (CGC) was established to standardize the compensation and benefits for the GFIs, but they are now affected by the current changes such as they have no health care benefits, rice allowance, provident fund, and HMO allowance.
She added that since the Covid-19 pandemic, many from their ranks have died but they continuously provide public service such as claims for SSS, PhilHealth, Landbank and other GFIs.
They slammed the disparity in the implementation of CPCS-1. However, the difference in the CPCS-2 is that “We have inputs, but we were not summoned and we don’t know what happened to our inputs,” Lati said.
“Most of our 10,400 employees have no HMO (Health Maintenance Organization). Because of the CGC, the board of directors of the seven big GFIs could not do anything,” Lati said.
She added that they have been calling on the CGC for a long time already.
“We are calling on President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. to listen to our grievances,” Lati said.
Lati stressed that the disparity in the CPCS-1 has already ended and the CPCS-2 has started since October 2024, noting that the SSS has already increased their salary twice, but the other GFIs have not yet received their own respective salary increase.
She cited that she could not claim for the death benefits for her husband because they still don’t have the CPCS-2.
“We are not stopping in providing public service even if there is still no CPCS-2,” Lati said.
They had already written the senators and the congressmen to address their concerns and they are willing to do it again.
“We are fighting for the approval of the CPCS-2 and don’t want that the contents of the CPCS-2 will not be the same as those of CPSC-2 for the rank-and-file employees of the GFIs,” Lati said.
She added that even if they were not consulted, they were thinking that all the contents in the CPSC-1 will be given and the three-year review, which was supposed to be in October 2024.
All the GFIs have 30,000 employees nationwide, including the 10,400 employees in Land Bank.
“We are now drafting a letter seeking support from the Senators and the Congressmen for an exemption from E.O. 150. We are calling to bring back our CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement),” Lati said.
“With PBBM, at least our letter reaches him. The President really listens to our grievances. The GFIs are calling for the implementation of the CPCS-2, including rice subsidy, HMO allowance, amounting to PHP100,000 for each employee of the GFIs,” she added.
“Most of us in the GFIs are passionate employees who continuously provide public service to the claims and benefits of Filipinos who are availing of the same,” Lati added.
Lati stressed that they have been receiving the benefits even since the time the CGC was still being established.
“We are calling for the immediate approval of the CPCS-2 so that it will be implemented already,” Lati said.
“Since 2018, the loyalty allowance of PHP2,500 was withheld from us,” she added.
Lati stressed that they could not provide a “ball park figure” or the total amount of benefits that they are supposed to receive because they are “income-generating”.
Atty. Susan Iduyan, President of PICEA (PhilHealth Independent Employees Association), said that the CPCS-1 provided benefits for the rank-and-file employees of the GFIs but was stopped by the CGC and the HMO benefits, rice allowance and other allowances.
The CGC controls government agencies that have committed abuses, with the approval of the President.
Iduyan said that they do not know the reasons of the CGC to stop their benefits.
“We can file for a petition for mandamus to compel the concerned official to take legal action,” Iduyan said.
“EO 150, Section 9 provides for a periodic review of the CPCS three years after its effectivity, which is a ministerial duty,” Iduyan said.
Since October 2024, Iduyan said, the CGC has not yet released the result of their periodic review on the implementation of CPCS-1.
“Our call is for the immediate implementation of CPCS-2,” Iduyan said.
Joseph Ariel Ramirez, President of PHILDICEO (Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation Employees Organization), said that since the implementation of the CPCS-1 on Oct. 1, 2021, the salaries and benefits for the rank-and-file employees in the GFIs have not been fully implemented.
“Our requests and appeals for the return of the benefits are based on legalities,” Ramirez said.
Louie Israel, President of PAFELA (Pag-IBIG Fund Employees Labor Association), said that Pag-IBIG now is vigorously processing the approval of the calamity loans of the affected employees nationwide.
Also present were Alex P. Gorembalem, Representative of ACCESS-SSS (Association of Concerned SSS Employees), Carl Roxas, Jr., Representative of ACCESS-SSS, Arnel Manlusoc, Executive Vice President of ACCESS-SSS, and Leen Lynard Bodos, Representative of PHILDICEO.
They shouted “CPCS-2 please approve now!” ###
