Lawmaker seeks 14th month pay for all workers anew

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 2) — A lawmaker has filed a bill pushing for a 14th month pay for all employees in the public and private sectors.

Despite the granting of a 13th month pay, many Filipino families still struggle to provide for their families due to their meager salaries, Kabayan Party-list Rep. Ron Salo said in his explanatory note.

It is the duty of the government to address the plights of its workers especially now that prices of goods and services continuously rise, he added.

Under House Bill No. 520, or the proposed 14th Month Pay Law, Salo wants to mandate all employers in the government and private sector to give their employees a 14th month pay regardless of employment status.

The lawmaker filed a similar bill in the 18th Congress, but was left pending at the committee level. Other bills of the same purpose in the previous Congress were also left pending in House committees.

“The 13th month pay shall be paid to the employees on or before May 31 of each year in anticipation of the school enrollment of the employees’ dependents,” the latest bill read. “The 14th month pay shall be given to the employees on or before November 30 of each year in time for the traditional Christmas celebrations.”

The proposed 14th month pay is also seen to incentivize and motivate workers to work harder and increase productivity, it added.

For employees hired for less than a year, a prorated 14th month pay will apply, which will be based on the number of months they have served, the propoosed measure noted.

Salo also wants this additional pay be excluded from the computation of the employee’s gross income, “provided that it shall not exceed the allowed exemptions pursuant to the National Internal Revenue Code or its Implementing Rules and Regulations.”