Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. is asking lawmakers for a special provision allowing the DND to provide overtime and hazard pay for its civilian disaster and arsenal personnel.
Teodoro made the request during the budget hearing of the House Committee on Appropriations for the department.
Teodoro, quoted by GMA News, said: “we have a little bit of lambing to you, some special provisions to allow us to pay our civilian employees overtime pay and, in situations where warranted, hazard pay.”
The Defense chief added that employees of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD)–an agency under the DND—do not get hazard pay “but PhiVolcs and other employees do.”
“Government arsenal personnel need hazard pay because they work in a very hazardous environment,” Teodor said.
He also asked for a special provision to allow the government arsenal to barter or sell scraps to generate funds, lessen environmental hazards and remove long and complicated processes in disposing of them.
Aside from this, Teodoro is also calling for some amendments including the re-establishment of hospitals in the government arsenal, GMA News also reported.
“For example, the re-establishment of trauma hospitals and other kinds
of hospitals in the government arsenal to respond if there is a fire or an explosion, they are not equipped to handle the emergency,” he said.
The DND has a budget of more than P229 million under the proposed National Expenditure Program for 2024.