By HANNAH TORREGOZA
SENATE President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III yesterday vowed to fast-track the approval of the measure mandating employers in the private sector to give 14th month pay to their employees.
Sotto said he has high hopes that the Senate would be able to pass the measure, Senate Bill No. 2, or the “14th Month Pay Law,” on third reading by September.
“I will follow it up with the Senate committee on labor,” Sotto said referring to the Senate panel on labor, employment and human resources development chaired by Sen. Joel Villanueva.
Sotto said those in the business sector need not be concerned over the measure as it will follow the provisions granted under the 13th month pay scheme which is a Presidential Decree.
“They (companies) think that we are changing the former presidential decree. The 13th month pay is a presidential decree and that also grants exemptions,” Sotto said.
“With the 14th month pay, there would also be exemptions, so our businessmen have nothing to be anxious about,” he further explained.
According to Sotto, the measure will allow companies, who cannot comply with a 14th month pay, to seek certification with the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).
“Hindi sila oobligahin. But they have to file a petition with the BIR,” he stressed.
Sotto further believes that the measure is doable, as there are multinational companies that are capable of granting a 14th month pay.
“There are so many that can afford to grant it, especially bigger companies, but they just won’t do it,” he said.
In the explanatory note of the measure, Sotto said there is an indispensable need to provide our Filipino laborers, both from the public and private sectors, additional 14th month pay.
He pointed out that with the rise in the prices of basic services and commodities, wages have invisibly decreased but improved business earnings have not cascaded on its own.
“The 13th month pay is gobbled up by Christmas expenses. We need extra earnings in the middle of the year to help in school and medical expenses. Health and education needs of the ordinary Filipino must be assisted by our government,” he said.
The Senate leader said passage of the measure into law would make the maxim attributed to President Ramon Magsaysay become a reality, that “Those who have less in life should have more in law.”
In an interview last week, Sotto said he hopes that the bill would be passed before Congress submits the reconciled version of the proposed 2019 national budget to President Duterte.
“I hope deliberations won’t have to reach until the upcoming (2019) elections,” Sotto said.
http://tempo.com.ph/2018/08/24/senate-pushes-for-workers-14th-month-pay/
SENATE President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III yesterday vowed to fast-track the approval of the measure mandating employers in the private sector to give 14th month pay to their employees.
Sotto said he has high hopes that the Senate would be able to pass the measure, Senate Bill No. 2, or the “14th Month Pay Law,” on third reading by September.
“I will follow it up with the Senate committee on labor,” Sotto said referring to the Senate panel on labor, employment and human resources development chaired by Sen. Joel Villanueva.
Sotto said those in the business sector need not be concerned over the measure as it will follow the provisions granted under the 13th month pay scheme which is a Presidential Decree.
“They (companies) think that we are changing the former presidential decree. The 13th month pay is a presidential decree and that also grants exemptions,” Sotto said.
“With the 14th month pay, there would also be exemptions, so our businessmen have nothing to be anxious about,” he further explained.
According to Sotto, the measure will allow companies, who cannot comply with a 14th month pay, to seek certification with the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).
“Hindi sila oobligahin. But they have to file a petition with the BIR,” he stressed.
Sotto further believes that the measure is doable, as there are multinational companies that are capable of granting a 14th month pay.
“There are so many that can afford to grant it, especially bigger companies, but they just won’t do it,” he said.
In the explanatory note of the measure, Sotto said there is an indispensable need to provide our Filipino laborers, both from the public and private sectors, additional 14th month pay.
He pointed out that with the rise in the prices of basic services and commodities, wages have invisibly decreased but improved business earnings have not cascaded on its own.
“The 13th month pay is gobbled up by Christmas expenses. We need extra earnings in the middle of the year to help in school and medical expenses. Health and education needs of the ordinary Filipino must be assisted by our government,” he said.
The Senate leader said passage of the measure into law would make the maxim attributed to President Ramon Magsaysay become a reality, that “Those who have less in life should have more in law.”
In an interview last week, Sotto said he hopes that the bill would be passed before Congress submits the reconciled version of the proposed 2019 national budget to President Duterte.
“I hope deliberations won’t have to reach until the upcoming (2019) elections,” Sotto said.
http://tempo.com.ph/2018/08/24/senate-pushes-for-workers-14th-month-pay/
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