Hefty salaries await midterm poll winners
Candidates elected in Monday’s midterm elections know what bounty lies ahead of a successful campaign—at the very least, monthly salaries ranging from P90,000 for municipal councilors to over P300,000 for lawmakers.
These salary rates are based on the Compensation and Position Classification Act of 1989 (Republic Act No. 6758)—which establishes salary grades of 1 to 32 setting the monthly compensation of elected and appointed officials—and on guidelines regularly issued by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), such as National Budget Circular No. 594 of Aug. 12, 2024, covering the disbursement of government salaries up to 2027.
Among local officials, the monthly compensation increases in proportion to the provincial, municipal or city classifications of their localities, in accordance also with RA 6758.
Local execs
Municipal councilors outside Metro Manila receive the lowest pay among elected officials—P90,078 to P100,888 under Salary Grade 24.
Sangguniang Panlungsod members in component cities, councilors in Metro Manila, and municipal vice mayors outside Metro Manila fall under Salary Grade 25, receiving P102,690 to P115,012.
Vice mayors in component cities and in Metro Manila are assigned Salary Grade 26, with a monthly pay ranging from P116,040 to P129,964.
Municipal mayors, Sangguniang Bayan members and Sangguniang Panlungsod members in highly urbanized and special cities are under Salary Grade 27, receiving between P131,124 and P146,859.
Provincial vice governors and city vice mayors are assigned Salary Grade 28, with monthly compensation ranging from P148,171 to P165,951.
Provincial governors and city mayors are classified under Salary Grade 30, earning between P189,199 and P211,902 a month.
Lawmakers
Senators and members of the House of Representatives are placed under Salary Grade 31, which corresponds to a monthly salary ranging from P278,434 to P318,806, according to DBM’s National Budget Circular No. 594.
The Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives, who are elected by Salary Grade 31 lawmakers, have a higher monthly compensation under Salary Grade 32, ranging from P331,954 to P381,748.
Incentives
Another law—RA 11466 or the Salary Standardization Law of 2019—grants midyear and year-end bonuses to all government personnel, equivalent to one month of their basic salaries.
There are other laws and directives granting additional incentives, such as Executive Order No. 64 which President Marcos issued on Aug. 2 last year, providing an annual medical allowance of P7,000 to all government personnel.
Sources: Inquirer Archives, dbm.gov.ph, elibrary.judiciary.gov.ph
