Government workers undergoing promotions or job reclassifications may soon experience faster salary increases under a proposed Department of Budget and Management (DBM) system designed to automatically resolve funding shortfalls.
The incoming policy aims to eliminate the need for individual agency requests by establishing an automated system that detects Personnel Services (PS) budget deficits using updated agency plantilla rosters.
Upon detecting a gap, the DBM will directly disburse the necessary funds to cover the wage adjustments.
“Hindi na kailangan pang i-request,” Acting Budget Secretary Kim Robert De Leon stated during a Saturday radio interview.
“Kailangan lang i-update ng ahensya yung master list na tinatawag namin ng kanilang plantilla, at ‘pag nakita namin na may kulang, kahit walang request, kailangan i-download namin sa kanila yung kakulangan nung pambayad ng pondo,” De Leon explained.
Existing protocols require agencies to formally notify the DBM of employee advancements or reclassifications before the budget department evaluates and releases supplemental funds for higher salary grades.
The policy is scheduled for approval by late September, with pilot testing set for the fourth quarter of 2026—a period when agencies typically seek extra funding to cover personnel costs.
While open to all national government bodies facing PS deficits, the mechanism stands to immediately aid public school personnel upgraded through the Department of Education’s (DepEd) Expanded Career Progression System.
The DBM previously approved ₱8.68 billion for 93,344 reclassified DepEd positions spanning fiscal years 2025 and 2026, alongside a proposed ₱12.09 billion allocation for 2027 to sustain the program.
DepEd’s total proposed budget for 2027 sits at ₱975.963 billion, funding compensation, teaching allowances, medical aid, and professional growth initiatives.
Following the initial trial late this year, the DBM will evaluate the system’s accuracy in identifying and covering budget gaps to determine if it will become a permanent fixture in national budget administration.