Minority solons push for P64k pay for nurses

ON INTERNATIONAL Nurses Day, the minority bloc in the House of Representatives rallied behind proposed new legislation that would increase by 75 percent the starting base pay of public nurses.

House Minority Leader and 4Ps partylist Rep. Marcelino “Nonoy” Libanan on Friday moved to formally co-author House Bill No. 5276, which seeks to raise from P36,619 to P63,997 the minimum monthly base pay of government nurses.

Under the bill, the lowest base pay of nurses employed in publichealth institutions would be bumped up by six notches to Salary Grade 21 prescribed under the Salary Standardization Law of 2019.

Libanan expressed his desire to co-author HB No. 5276 in a letter addressed to Quezon City Rep. Marvin Rillo, who first introduced the measure in September last year.

In his letter to Rillo, Libanan said: “I am in agreement with you that we have to provide our nurses working in public health institutions with competitive salary and benefits so as to entice them to continue their service to the Filipino people.”

Libanan cited the heroism of Filipino nurses and other health professionals serving on the frontlines at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Maricel Cruz

DFA: Top Aussie envoy Wong in PH next week

THE Department of Foreign Affairs on Friday said the Australian Foreign Minister Senator Penny Wong will visit the Philippines next week.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said Wong will be in the country from May 16 to 19 for an official visit upon his invitation.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Navy played host to the navies of SoutheastAsia to formally open the ASEAN Multilateral Naval Exercise or AMNEX this year in Subic, Zambales.

Seven foreign “gray” ships will participate in the exercises and are currently docked at the Subic Naval Operating Base, the Philippine Navy said.

The two-day sea phase of the AMNEX opens today in the waters nearZambales in the West Philippine Sea, away from the areas disputed by China and other countries.

According to the DFA, Manalo and Wong will meet on May 18 to discuss a broad range of issues of mutual interest, including defense and security partnership, development cooperation, trade and investment, and people-topeople ties. Rey E. Requejo

Bersamin:...

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This was after House Minority Floor Leader Marcelino Libanan also called on the President to only appoint those who have no plans to run in the next polls to ensure that they would remain focused and committed to their work for the government.

"Who are we to prohibit someone from running because they want to serve the country? Others want to serve but are not called by the President. That's his wisdom," said Bersamin, a former Chief Justice before Mr. Marcos tapped him to become the so-called “Little President.”

According to the 1987 Constitution, no candidate “who has lost in any election shall, within one year after such election, be appointed to any office in the Government or any government-owned or -controlled corporations or in any of their subsidiaries."

However, the Marcos administration has at least three executive departments without permanent secretaries.

The Department of Health is headed by Undersecretary and Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergiere, while the Department of National Defense is led by Senior Undersecretary Carlito Galvez Jr.

The President, meanwhile, heads the Agriculture department as its concurrent Secretary. Vince Lopez (See full story online at manilastandard.net) will be left behind in the country’s postpandemic economic recovery.

The IMF was represented by Mission Chief Jay Peiris; Resident Representative Ragnar Gudmundsson; Senior Economist Yinqiu Lu; and Economist Tristan Hennig.

“From our discussions, I could confidently say that the IMF mission members were impressed with the Philippines' economic performance and the government's economic agenda. They expressed confidence that the Philippines will continue to grow strongly in the years ahead,” he added.

Meanwhile, Albay Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda on Friday reiterated his call for the government to undertake a “spending catch-up plan” to “fortify the country’s economy from global headwinds and reap more benefits out of the budget earlier."

"I still believe that we need a spending catch-up plan to release funds for projects faster next quarter,” said Salceda, chair of the House committee on ways and means.

Also on Friday, Senator Christopher Go lauded the administration, saying that the government is on the right track, and reiterated his commitment to support programs aimed at uplifting the lives of the poor. With Macon Ramos-Araneta