CLARK FREEPORT – Clark Development Corporation (CDC) will file an appeal with Malacañang for the recognition of the allowances, benefits, and incentives (ABIs) of CDC employees which were discontinued under the new salary system approved by the Governance Commission for Government-Owned and Controlled Corporation (GCG).
CDC President and CEO Atty. Agnes VST Devanadera said that the CDC management will exhaust all efforts and legal means to address the concerns of the employees on salary and benefits under the Compensation and Position Classification System (CPCS).
Devanadera stated that they are currently in talks with top government officials who support CDC’s appeal. She also asked for the employees’ patience and understanding as the management continuously work to resolve the issues.
“We are not the enemies here and we all have our own roles to play. However, we ask for the employees understanding and patience because we are doing everything we can and we are already talking with top officials who support us. Let us be strategic and take the bull by the horns,” she shared.
Following GCG’s decision on CDC’s motion for reconsideration from the initial Authority to Implement (ATI) the CPCS dated June 17, 2022, CDC management stated that it will pursue all ‘administrative remedies,’ which would include seeking the intervention of the Office of the President of the Philippines, to address the employees’ concerns.
Meanwhile, CDC management also vowed to expedite the government-owned corporation’s reorganization to address the issues with job description and job gradings. The management is likewise set to secure the CDC Board’s approval on the implementation of the ATI issued by the GCG on January 11, 2023, as well as the corresponding supplemental budget, which will help to mitigate the impact of the CPCS migration.
Aside from this, CDC shared that it will “request and obtain necessary approvals prescribed by the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) for the release of the supplemental budget to implement the January 11, 2023 ATI (retroactive from October 5, 2021) either at step 1 or the step nearest to the personnel’s present basic monthly pay following the CPCS guidelines on non-diminution of salaries,” the CDC said on a memorandum issued by its president dated January 18, 2023.
GCG issued its resolution on the motion for reconsideration filed by CDC last January 11, 2023 with reconsiderations of Job Grade (JG) assignments and inclusion of Co-Terminus positions. Under its resolution and the new ATI issued by GCG to CDC, positions on Job Level 12 and up were reconsidered to be 2 step higher, while those on Job Level 11 and below were reconsidered to be 1 step higher.
CDC management urged employees for their support and understanding as they collaborate to arrive at a solution to all issues and concerns that is favorable to everyone.
“We continue to request the prayers, support, and understanding of everyone as we continue to advance the welfare of all CDC personnel,” the CDC added.
Recently, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) headed by Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma issued an assumption of jurisdiction order regarding the plight of the CDC employees.
Laguesma, citing the issue on ABIs, released an order last January 16, 2023 directing the CDC “to put in escrow in favor of the employees concerned such amounts corresponding to the difference in monetary values between the GCG-approved and the CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement).”