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WHERE government salaries fail to make both ends meet for the more than a million government employees, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo personally led the launching of the Go Negosyo, Go Gobyerno aimed to help employees put up their own businesses to raise household incomes.

The government has also unveiled comprehensive non-wage benefits for the Labor Day celebrations, one which also includes raising by 10% the salaries of government employees and a micro-credit facility for the state workers.

Through the "Puhunang Pangnegosyo Para sa Kawani ng Gobyerno" program launched recently at the Philippine Trade Training Center (PTTC) in Manila, the President at the launching enticed government workers to start becoming micro entrepreneurs by availing of the newly opened credit window.

Calling the state workers the “pillars of power" in the community, she reminded everyone present that the government has allotted P1 billion in funding for the collateral-free livelihood loans to government employees, through employee cooperatives and employee associations.

With this money, those interested employees may avail of the loan as an individual or as an association.

The loans will be in the form of wholesale lending by government financing institutions namely: the PCFC, the Development Bank of the Philippines, the Land Bank of the Philippines, Quedan Corporation, National Livelihood Support Fund and Small Business Guarantee Finance Corporation with government employee cooperatives and associations as their retail institutions.

The facility offers livelihood loans starting at P5T given in cycles of three to six months with gradual increases in loan size based on repayment record, group or individual liability and bimonthly or monthly repayments.

The President said that the new loan facility is part of the "social payback" to the people after the government implemented radical revenue reform measures that have contributed to the lofty standing the Philippine economy is experiencing right now.

This as she said during the Labor Day rites that the comprehensive Labor Day package for government workers is the administration’s way of "bringing the benefits of a strong economy to every worker."

The President announced the package of benefits including the 10% salary raise starting July this year; a P5T free loan that could be had starting May 2, 10-month salary loan to be prepared by the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) and the Social Security System’s (SSS) intensification of its Flexi-Fund for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) which now covers informal workers.

Over this, she said an OFW Pension System is in the works, and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas is coming up with steps to decrease the cost of remitting cash to the Philippines.

At this, she reiterated that her national agenda is on to creating good paying jobs, stable prices and bringing the benefits of a strong economy to every worker.

The GSIS is also increasing its scholarship grants, lowering interest rates, restructuring housing loans, expanding hospitalization support, and improving its service via computerization, she said.

The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), for itself, will reserve P50 million for skills upgrading and bridging programs so that seafarers can become engineers and deck officers.

The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), for its part, will give funds for the Migrant Workers Scholarship Fund while the Bureau of Immigration and Deportation (BID) will henceforth remove escort services in airports and seaports.

And still for the OFWs, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) will use 10 percent of its earnings to strengthen the campaign against illegal recruitment.

For the informal sector, the DOLE will set up a P50-million livelihood fund for the parents and family members of child laborers, in accordance with the principles of the International Labor Organization’s Child Labor Program, the President said.

The Pag-IBIG Fund, meanwhile, will release P6 billion worth of dividends to its members while another P30 billion, according to the President, will be reserved for loans for tuition and emergency medical needs.

Meanwhile, Press Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye said the "President’s Labor Day package exemplifies the fruits of tripartite consultation as applied to building a strong nation and a better future for us all."

Bunye, who is also the Presidential Spokesperson, pointed out that the "record of this administration in creating jobs, promoting skills, training, and securing industrial peace speaks for itself."

"The challenge is for every day to be a day of national pride and productivity for all workers, including our overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). It is this noble challenge that inspires government to put together a package of new benefits and programs to meet our workers’ needs," Bunye said. (PIA)

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