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• EDD K. USMAN | X (Twitter): @edd1819 | Instagram: @bluestar0910 |Facebook: SDN – SciTech & Digital News

CLUB FILIPINO, San Juan City, August 2, 2025 (SDN) — “Parang binigyan mo kami ng cake, pero tinanggal mo naman ang ulam namin. Hindi ka naman mabubuhay sa cake lang. Di ba!”

(Translation: “But it’s as if you gave as a cake, then you took away our viand. But you can’t live on a cake alone, true?”)

Land Bank of the Philippines Employees Association (LBPEA) President Ms. Nanette Jarino-Lati made this emphasis, referring to the benefits, allowances, and incentives removed by the government from the over 30,000 employees of seven Government-Owned and -Controlled Corporations (GOCCs).

She said many employees of the seven GOCCs since the establishment in 2011 of the Government Commission for GOCCs (GCG) have been losing from a high of Php100,000 a month because of the Governance Commission for GOCCs (GCGs) implementation of the Compensation and Position Classification System (CPCS)-1.

Union officials of the LBP, Social Security System (SSS), Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), Pag-IBIG, Asian Development Bank (ADB), Philippine Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), and Philippine Deposit Insurance Commission (PDIC) collectively met with members of the Quad Media on August 1 for a press conference hosted by The Agenda here in Greenhills, San Juan City, Metro Manila, to air their grievances and appealed for reconsideration of theri plight from the national government.

Listed participants, aside from Jarino-Lati, in the press conference included Joseph Ariel Ramirez, president, Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation Employees Organization (PHILDICEO); Jarino-Lati; Atty. Susan Iduyan, PhilHealth Independent Employees Association (PHICEA) president; Alex P. Gorembalem, representative, Association of Concerned SSS Employees (ACCESS-SSS); Carl Roxas Jr., representative, ACCESS-SSS; Louie Israel, president, Pag-IBIG Fund Employees Labor Association (PAFELA); Arnel Manlusoc, executive vice president, ACCESS-SSS; and Leen Lynard Bodos, representative, Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation Employees Organization (PHILDICEO), and others.

Watch LBPEA President Ms. Nanette Jarino-Lati: https://youtu.be/5FCzsK_vLxg?si=kbIpXPYOw4S5KNTl

Not sure, but hopeful the President would consider their request

Jarino-Lati, when asked by SDN-SciTech & Digital News what were the benefits taken from them by the GCG, which they were receiving before, she said these are Rice Subsidy, HMO (Health Maintenance Organization), Provident Fund, Children’s Allowance, Parents’ Allowance, Housing Allowance, Grocery Allowance, and Anniversary Allowance. She added that since 2018 there Php2,500 Loyalty Allowance is not given as well to the GOCCs employees.

For many employees of the GOCCs, she explained, that’s Php100,000 a year taken from many of them yearly.

They particularly appealed to President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. to immediately approve and implement already the CPCS-2.

It appeared from the statements of the GOCCs union executives that they are not even sure if the inputs they submitted to the government would be included in the second iteration of the CPCS, of which its first implementation gave the over 30,000 GFIs employees a heartbreak.

Nevertheless, they are hopeful the President would take into consideration their pleas, especially that during the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic that broke out in December 2019 out of China, many of their fellow GOCC employees died as they continued to provide service to their constituents despite risks to their lives, Jarino-Lati pointed out.

She that even with the loss of their many benefits their enthusiasm for serving fellow Filipinos have not slowed down, and that they continue to work and deliver what is expected of them. “You don’t stop serving people in front of you,” the LBPEA top official assures.

PAFELA President Louie Israel emphasized that what they are asking from government have basis in law.

“This is not just a dream, or wish list, to be return to us. There are legal bases which in our eyes (made) it already illegal (taking away the GOCCs benefits) because there already were Supreme Court decisions. They were base in legality,” the PAFELA president asserts.

Asked about their salaries compared to those in the private sector, Jarino-Lati acknowledged theirs are way higher.

“We really (have) very high (compensation compared to private sector’s salary). Really very high. “(But it’s as if you gave as a cake, then you took away our viand. But you can’t live on a cake alone, true?”

“There’s only one thing GFIs and GOCCs’ employees are asking, to approve CPCS-2 and implement as soon as possible, including the benefits we lost because we did not stop providing service (to our people),” she adds. “We are asking for reconsideration (from the President).”

There are so many employees nationwide of the GOCCs, the LBPEA officer said, citing over 30,000. She said LBP alone has more than 10,000 employees across the country.

“We are asking exemption and protection from Executive Order No. 150,” Jarino-Lati says. She said they are also drafting a resolution addressed to Congress for exemption from E.O. No. 150.

They also lamented that Board of Directors of the GFIs have become powerless, they can’t do anything about the employees’ predicament. “Their hands are tied; they have no power starting when the GCG was implemented.”

GOCC employees’ commitment and dedication have not decreased

SDN asked her how the Duterte administration treated the GOCCs’ workers compared to Marcos, Jr.’s time now.

“Actually, our problem took roots from there (President Rodrigo R. Duterte time), sorry to say. With President Marcos, our (four) letters have reached him. We are asking him for the approval of CPCS-2 so our allowances, benefits, and incentives would be returned to us, especially the rice subsidy, HMO and Provident Fund. Our latest letter to the President was just last month,” Jarino-Lati says.

Obviously, in that latest letter to Marcos, the GOCCs unions asked for an audience but so far there’s no response yet. She said they also are asking Congress to help them get exemption from E.O. No. 150.

PHICEA President Iduyan pointed out that while officers of the GOCCs are thankful for their high salaries, “there are many in the rank and file who are dissatisfied.”

“Our call again is to have a dialogue, we need to have a dialogue with the GCG,” she says, while adding they have no idea why the GCG stopped many of their benefits and that there was no explanation why.

While the GCG did not give explanation as to why the allowances, benefits, and incentives of the employees were stopped, Jarino-Lati in a later text message said:

“Sa suma tutal po, ginamit ng mga GFIs/GOCCs Management ang EO 150 review para sabi ayusin ang pa sweldo para sa mga Empleyado, ang kinalabasan nawalan na ng benepisyo bumaba pa po ang Net take home pay.” (In sum, the Management of GFIs/GOCCs used the E.O. review to put in order employees’ salaries, but what came out was that we not only lost benefits but our take home pay decreased.)

Jarino-Lati pointed out that GOCCs do not receive budget from the government because they are money-making agencies and that part of their mandate is to give 50 percent of their income (at least for LBP).

Just recently, she said, the LBP remitted to the National Treasury over Php10 billion, while over Php100 billion are being remitted by the seven GFIs.

“We are put our hopes on (President Marcos),” the LBPEA president says.

She said all the officials, Board of Directors of the GOCCs have their hands tied, they can’t take action on the employees’ predicament.

Jarino-Lati said for a very long time they have been calling on the GSG through emails, Chat Group. “Our children are in college, (our expenses) are increasing. “Hindi namin pwede ipakain sa mga bata ang ‘Sorry, wala pa sinasabi.'” (We can’t feed the children with ‘Sorry, there’s nothing said yet.)

The PAFELA president said their call is to implement CPCS-2, saying CPCS-1 “is far from equitable to the rank and file. Bonuses that we used to receive were slashed. But employees’ commitment and dedication have not decreased. Thousands are applying for emergency loans because of the three typhoons.”

E.O. No. 150, titled “Approving the Compensation and Position Classification System (CPCS) and Index of Occupational Services, Position Titles, and Job Grades for GOCCs (IOS-G) Framework, Repealing Executive Order No. 203 (S. 2016), and for Other Purposes” was signed by President Rodrigo R. Duterte on October 1, 2021.

The said executive order is being implemented by the GCG, established in 2011 through Republic Act No. 10149 and it governs all GOCCs, GFIs, and other related government instrumentalities.

Lawyer Marius Corpus is head since 2023 of the GCG, which is “the central advisory, monitoring and oversight body that formulates, implements and coordinates policies to govern 118 GOCCs.” (√)

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