Government Workers Group Calls For CPCS-2 Approval

-Gillian Paul Abayon

During the Agenda at Club Filipino hosted by Lolly Acosta in San Juan City, Metro Manila, on August 1, different representatives of State workers from Government Owned and Controlled Corporations (GOCCs) calls for President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to immediately approved the CPCS-2.

“We are calling on President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to listen to our grievances” said by Nannete Jariño-Lati President of LBPEA (Land Bank of the Philippines Employees Association).

Lati added that they are the Government Finance Institutions (GFIs) who give part of their income in billions of pesos to the national government. She is also the Executive Vice President of the National Union of Bank Employees Insurance and Finance Organizations (NUBE).

The Corporate Governance for GOCCs (CGC) was established to standardize the compensation and benefits for the GFIs. However, they found out that they have no health care benefits, rice allowance, provident fund, and HMO allowance.

“Most of our 10,400 employees have no HMO (Health Maintenance Organization). Because of the CGC, the board of directors of the seven big GFIs could not do anything,” Lati said.

CPCS-1 has already ended and the CPCS-2 has started since October 2024, the SSS has already increased their salary twice, but the other GFIs have not yet received their own respective salary increase.

When the Covid-19 pandemic struck, many from their ranks died, but they continuously provided public service such as claims for SSS, PhilHealth, Landbank and other GFIs.1

Lati cited that she could not claim for the death benefits for her husband because they still don’t have the CPCS-2.

“We are not stopping in providing public service even if there is still no CPCS-2″. Lati mentioned. The group slammed the disparity in the implementation of CPCS-1. Regarding the CPCS-2, there is a clear difference, “we have inputs, but we were not summoned and we don’t know what happened to our inputs”. She added.

The group revealed that they had written requests to the senators and the congressmen, to address their concerns and they are willing to do it.

“We are now drafting a letter seeking support from the Senators and the Congressmen for an exemption from E.O. 150. We are calling to bring back our CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement)”.

“We are calling for the immediate approval of the CPCS-2 so that it will be implemented already”. Lati said during the forum.

The CPCS-1 provided benefits for the rank-and-file employees of the GFIs but was stopped by the CGC and the HMO benefits, rice allowance and other allowances, according to Atty. Susan Iduyan, President of PICEA (PhilHealth Independent Employees Association).

Iduyan said that Since October 2024, the CGC has not yet released the result of their periodic review on the implementation of CPCS-1. “Our call is for the immediate implementation of CPCS-2.”