Civil Service Commission (CSC) Commissioner Nieves Osorio backed a proposal for a wage hike for state workers but points out that it’s the call of the budget department and Congress.
Osorio addressed lawmakers at the budget deliberations of the CSC at the House of Representatives appropriations committee.
The CSC is seeking a budget of P1.25 billion for 2016.
It’s the third day of deliberations at the House of Representatives.
On Tuesday, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office and Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) presented the current status of their financing. As state corporations, the PCSO and PAGCOR do not get budgets from government but updates Congress instead on their internally generated funding.
During Tuesday’s briefing, the PCSO said it hopes to extend charity services to more individuals this year as the agency projects its funding for individual assistance, institutional assistance and other medical and social programs to hit P9 billion.
At the presentation of the agency’s plans and directions for 2016 before the House Committee on Appropriations, PCSO General Manager Ferdinand Rojas II said the charity fund of the PCSO usually represents 20 percent of the agency’s operating budget for the whole year.
For this year, Rojas told the appropriations committee chaired by Rep. Isidro T. Ungab (3rd District, Davao City) that their operating budget for 2015 is expected to hit P36 billion, of which about P9 billion or 20 percent will be for charity programs and projects.
Ungab said aside from charity funds from the PCSO, there are also medical assistance funds coming from the proceeds of the Sin Tax Law, allotment to the Department of Health (DOH) for assistance to specialty hospitals and State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) with hospitals, among others. There are also funds from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), lawmakers, and local government officials according to Ungab.
On the other hand, for 2016, PAGCOR expects to contribute some P15 billion to state coffers. It is expected to contribute P14 billion this year.
news source: abs-cbnnews.com
