In the midst of the observance of the Environmental Awareness Month, Buhay party-list Rep. Joselito Atienza wants Congress to triple the starting wage of forest rangers and grant them new benefits, including extra wages for working under dangerous conditions.
He filed House Bill No. 2597 or the Magna Carta for Forest Rangers to increase the minimum base pay of a forest ranger from Salary Grade 4 (P13,807 per month) to Salary Grade 18 (P42,159 per month).
Among the benefits are the subsistence allowance for three meals per day while in the field, travel time being counted as time in the field, overtime pay of 10 percent and night-shift differential pay of 10 percent, hazard pay consistent with prevailing practices, longevity pay equal to 5 percent of the monthly basic pay for every five years of continuous service, transportation allowance and full compensation for work injuries.
“Our forest rangers have endured hard work and low pay. Many of them have even sacrificed lives in the line of duty. They deserve these long-overdue benefits,” Atienza said.
“If Congress can earmark billions of pesos every year to renew our denuded forests, surely we can also provide our rangers highly improved compensation and welfares,” he added.
Atienza is a former Manila City mayor and Department of Environment and Natural Resources secretary.
