MANILA — Senate Deputy Majority Leader JV Ejercito is pushing to upgrade the financial safety net for over three million public servants by raising the monthly Personnel Economic Relief Allowance (PERA) to ₱5,000.
Under Senate Bill No. 2540, or the proposed “PERA Adjustment Act,” the allowance will more than double from its current rate of ₱2,000.
Ejercito emphasized that an update is long overdue, noting that the benefit has remained stagnant for over 15 years, with its last major revision implemented through a joint congressional resolution in 2009.
The legislative push also addresses appeals from various labor and civil servant groups, including the Alliance of Concerned Teachers, the Alliance of Health Workers, and COURAGE.
The proposed measure extends support to a wide range of public personnel, spanning national and local offices, regular and casual employees, elective and appointive officials, as well as military and uniformed personnel. However, government workers stationed abroad who already receive separate overseas allowances are excluded.
Highlighting the strain of economic pressures, Ejercito pointed out that the current subsidy falls short of its original purpose.
”The purchasing power of the Philippine Peso has been severely affected by volatile energy prices, rising transport fares, global economic disruptions, and the escalating cost of essential goods and services have rendered the current ₱2,000 allowance entirely insufficient to provide the genuine economic relief it was legally designed to deliver,” Ejercito said.
Beyond the immediate hike, the bill seeks to future-proof the allowance by incorporating an automatic annual adjustment that mirrors the country’s inflation rate, eliminating the need for recurring legislative actions.
Ejercito believes that improving compensation is vital for maintaining a robust public sector.
”By ensuring fair economic relief, the government retains competitive and dedicated talent, which directly translates to a more responsive, transparent, and effective for all Filipinos,” he said.