Duterte hikes employees’ compensation benefits, carer’s allowance

President Rodrigo R. Duterte has signed an executive order increasing monthly employees’ compensation (EC) benefits and carer’s allowance in the public and private sectors. (RICHARD MADELO/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO)

MANILA – President Rodrigo R. Duterte has signed an executive order increasing monthly employees’ compensation (EC) benefits and carer’s allowance in the public and private sectors.

Under Executive Order (EO) No. 54 he signed on May 8, Duterte granted a PHP1,150 across-the-board hike in EC monthly disability pension of all EC permanent disability pensioners and qualified beneficiaries in the public sector.

The increase took effect in January 2017 pursuant to the Letter of Instruction (LOI) No. 1286 series of 1983, which provides automatic increase every time the Social Security System (SSS) and the Government Service Insurance System increase the monthly income benefits for non-work-related contingencies.

In January 2017, the SSS increased its monthly income benefits to PHP1,000.

Section 2 of the EO provides that “SSS shall continue to implement the minimum EC monthly disability and survivorship pension in the private sector, which in no case shall be less than PHP2,000.”

The SSS shall also continue to grant the entitlement of primary beneficiaries of deceased Permanent Total Disability (PTD) pensioners from 80 percent to 100 percent of the PTD pensioner’s monthly pension.

“The amount of carer’s allowance granted to EC permanent disability pensioners in the public and private sectors is hereby increased from PHP575 to PHP1,000 per month,” the EO read.

According to the President’s order, the reimbursement rates of professional fees of physicians shall also increase from PHP100 to PHP400 for general practitioners and from PHP150 to PHP600 for specialists.