Isinusulong ni Senador Jinggoy Estrada ang Senate Bill (SB) No. 1922 na nais taasan ang sahod ng mga government social worker. 

Sakop ng panukala ang lahat ng registered social worker, pati ang mga nagbibigay ng serbisyo base sa job orders o contracts of service.

Sa isang pahayag, binanggit ni Estrada na kulang ang sahod at sobra-sobra ang trabaho ng mga social worker ng gobyerno kaya nais niya na taasan ang kanilang kasalukuyang buwanang sahod.

Isinaad rin niya na madalas na hindi pinagtutuunan ng pansin ang kahirapan na nararanasan ng mga social worker na nagtatrabaho upang matugunan ang pangangailangan ng mga mahihirap.

“It is for this reason that we wanted to extend care, assistance, and appreciation to the Filipino social workers including those whose services are engaged through job orders or contracts of services by mandating the increase of their salary in accordance with the existing law on the salary scale of government employees,” ayon sa mababatas.

Nais amyendahan ng SB 1922 and Section 12 ng Republic Act (RA) No. 9433 o ang Magna Carta for Public Social Workers. Isinulong ni Estrada ang pagtaas ng sweldo sa Salary Grade 13 na kapantay ang kasalukuyang modified salary schedule para sa mga civilian employee bilang entry-level pay ng junior officer public social worker.

“With the rising inflation and with more families needing social welfare and protection services and development interventions, we have to take care of our public social workers who are tirelessly fulfilling their gargantuan and valuable role in our society,” aniya.

Photo credit: Facebook/DepartmentOfSocialWelfareAndDevelopment