Aquino signs EO granting additional compensation to soldiers

Malacañang announced that President Benigno Simeon Aquino III has signed Executive Order 38, granting additional compensations such as duty and incentive pays to the officials and enlisted personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). In a statement issued on Tuesday, Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. said EO 38, signed by Aquino on April 28, set the amount of combat pay at P500 and the incentive pay at P150 per day. It will be applied retroactively as of January 1, 2011. "President Aquino approved EO 38 to put in effect the intention of his administration to improve the conveyed allotment of benefits and entitlements to the members of the AFP, especially those engaged in combat operations and recognizing the vital role they play in nation building," Ochoa said. EO 38 was issued to "consolidate, clarify, and integrate all executive issuances" to provide maximum benefits for qualified members of the AFP. The order consolidated all presidential directives about combat duty and incentive pay of AFP officers and enlisted personnel. The new EO supersedes or takes the place of previous related orders: EO 1017, 15, and 658. Under EO 38, officers and enlisted personnel of the AFP performing combat duties or activities will receive a combat duty pay of P500 per month. An additional combat incentive pay of P150 per day will be given to AFP members who are actually engaged in combat operation against members of various insurgent, terrorist, and lawless groups. The initial funding requirement to implement EO 38 will be drawn from the personal services savings of the AFP during fiscal year 2010-2011. The succeeding budget for this presidential directive will be included in the General Appropriations Act. Consolidation of other presidential orders EO 1017, which was issued on March 22, 1985, had set the combat duty pay of soldiers from P120 to P240 per month. Subsequently, EO 658, which was issued on September 6, 2007, granted an additional combat incentive pay of P150 per day to soldiers for being directly involved in actual combat operations. On December 20, 2010, Aquino issued EO 15, which provided for an additional combat allowance of P260 per month to increase it to P500 per month but removed the P150 per day incentive of the men in uniform in the field for combat operations. With the issuance of EO 38, Ochoa said soldiers taking part in actual combat operations can now receive their daily incentive pay on top of the monthly combat allowance. "The intent of the administration is to improve the conditions of our soldiers, especially those in combat who risk their lives," Ochoa said. "We are taking measures to extend to them adequate compensation that is also commensurate to the services they render to contribute to nation building," he added. - VVP, GMA News