Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

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NINETEENTH CONGRESS 3

First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No. 7044

Introduced by the Honorable ANIELA BIANCA D. TOLENTINO

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The operation and delivery of government service requires a lot of personnel. Due
to scarcity of financial resources, the government often relies on contractual and job
order personnel to augment the manpower requirement for the efficient delivery of public
service. Staff on a contractual and job order basis are indeed an important component in

government operations. As such, these staff also need to be amply compensated with a
13" month pay.

Not all offices in the government service pay contractual and job order employees
with 13" month pay. This representation seeks for the passage of a law that will require
government offices to mandatorily pay their contractual and job order staff the
appropriate 13 month pay. The additional compensation provided for in the proposed
measure herein will go a long way for contractual and job order employees of the
government; it will surely improve their quality of life.

At this point, it is worth highlighting that the Constitution declares that: “The State
affirms labor as a primary social economic force. It shall protect the rights of workers and
promote their welfare” (Section 18, 1987 Constitution). The bill herein seeks to concretize
the cited Constitutional provision by the mandatory payment of 13” month pay to
contractual and job order government employees.

For the Filipino people, the approval of the foregoing bill is earnestly being sought.


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City
NINETEENTH CONGRESS

First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No. 7044

Introduced by the Honorable ANIELA BIANCA D. TOLENTINO

AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE MANDATORY PAYMENT OF 13TH MONTH PAY
TO GOVERNMENT CONTRACTUAL AND JOB ORDER PERSONNEL

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. — This Act shall be known as the "Mandatory 13th Month Pay
Law for Contractual and Job Order Personnel.”

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - The State affirms labor as a primary and social
economic force. It shall protect the rights of workers and promote their welfare,
regardless of their status of employment.

SECTION 3. Coverage. - This Act shall cover all government employees, regardless of
their employment status, contractual or job order personnel, provided that they have
completed at least one contract (minimum of three months) with the government before
July 1 of the current fiscal year, prior to the granting of the 13th month pay.

SECTION 4. Mandatory Payment of 13th Month Pay. - All government employees
regardless of their employment status, contractual or job order personnel, shall be
entitled to 13th month pay every year.

SECTION 5. Minimum Amount - The minimum amount of the 13th-month pay for
contractual and job order personnel shall not be less than one-half of the monthly salary
by the employee based on his/her current contract with the government.

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SECTION 6. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within sixty days from the
enactment of this law, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) shall
promulgate the guidelines for this Act.

SECTION 7. Separability Clause. -If any provision of this Act is declared invalid or
unconstitutional, the other provisions hereof which are not affected thereby shall continue
to be in full force and effect.

SECTION 8. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, executive orders, letters of
instructions, proclamations, rules and regulations, or parts thereof inconsistent with this
Act shall be deemed notified, amended, or repealed accordingly.

SECTION 9. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
complete publication in the Official Gazette or a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,