Senate OKs resolution increasing daily allowance of soldiers, cops to P150

MANILA – The Senate unanimously approved on third and final reading on Monday a proposed joint resolution increasing the subsistence allowance of the military and police from P90 to 150 per day beginning next year.

Voting 20-0 with no abstention, the Senate passed Joint Resolution No. 2 with the House of Representatives that will also cover the personnel of the Bureau of Fire Protection, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, Philippine Coast Guard, candidate soldiers, cadets and civilian active auxiliaries of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

“By providing a modest increase on the existing subsistence allowance of our uniformed personnel, we hope to uplift their morale and recognize their sacrifices for this country,” Sen. Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV, principal author and sponsor of the bill, said.

Trillanes urged his counterparts Magdalo Party-list Representatives Ashley Acedillo and Gary Alejano to push for the passage of the joint resolution at the House of Representatives.

Like a proposed bill, the joint resolution will also require approval of the bicameral conference committee to consolidate the conflicting provisions before submitting it to Malacanang for the signature of President Benigno S. Aquino III.

Senate President Franklin M. Drilon lauded the passage of the joint resolution, saying a boost in the daily allowances would help members of the military and the police better provide for their families.

“According to the National Statistics Office (NSO), an average Filipino family needs at least P13,200 per month to live decently – a far cry from what our troops and police officers currently receive. Those who protect our nation and their families deserve the attention and help of the state, especially as prices of even the most essential goods go up,” he said.

A former Navy officer, Trillanes said the subsistence allowance of P90 per day was too meager to cover the needs of uniformed personnel.

”Despite their vital, indispensable and invaluable contribution to the country, they remain among the lowest paid public servants. They receive measly salaries, inadequate allowances and insufficient benefits,” Trillanes, chairman of the Senate committee on national defense, said.

Sen. Loren Legarda, vice chair of the Senate committee on defense and security, said increasing the subsistence allowance of the soldiers and policemen would address their “most basic and pressing needs.”

“The hard reality is that our uniformed personnel remain among the lowest paid public servants despite the enormity of their tasks. It is high time that we address the long-standing concerns of these public servants who always put their lives on the line,” Legarda said.