GRANTING EMERGENCY COST OF LIVING ALLOWANCE TO EMPLOYEES OF THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT AND APPROPRIATING THE NECESSARY FUNDS THEREFOR

• Number: Presidential Decree No. 390
• Sections: 4

Preamble

WHEREAS, worldwide inflation primarily brought about by the

energy crisis has resulted in the tremendous increase of domestic

prices, in particular, and the cost of living, in general;

WHEREAS, the increase in prices, especially of basic or

prime commodities, has caused undue hardships among that segment of our

people belonging to the low income or salary group in the public as well

as private sector of the economy;

WHEREAS, there is need to alleviate the plight of the

members of this low income group in order to provide them with the means

to cushion the impact of increased prices on their daily lives; and

WHEREAS, the needed measures to aid and assist the low

income group initiated by the Government should set an example and

suggest to the private sector to undertake measures of their own for the

same purpose;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the

Philippines, by virtue of the powers in me vested by the Constitution as

Commander-in-Chief of all the Armed Forces, and pursuant to

Proclamation No. 1081, dated September 21, 1972, and General Order No.

1, dated September 22, 1972, as amended, do hereby order and decree the

following as part of the law of the land:

Section 1

SECTION 1. Any provision of law, decree, executive order,

administrative order, letter of instruction, or rule or regulation to

the contrary notwithstanding, all employees of the National Government

whose salaries or wages are less than or below six hundred pesos (P600)

per month shall be given, in addition to their respective salaries or

wages, the amount of fifty pesos (P50) per month as emergency cost of

living allowance: Provided, That no employee covered by this emergency

allowance scheme shall, by reason of the receipt of this allowance,

receive more than six hundred pesos (P600) per month as straight time

pay.

Section 2

SEC. 2. So much amount as is necessary to pay the emergency

cost of living allowance and the adjustment as provided for in the

preceding section is hereby appropriated out of any amount in the

National Treasury not otherwise appropriated.

Section 3

SEC. 3. This Decree shall take effect and shall be

implemented immediately.

Done in the City of Manila, this 17th day of February, in the year

of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-four.

(Sgd.) FERDINAND E. MARCOS

President

Republic of the Philippines

By the President:

(Sgd.) ALEJANDRO MELCHOR

Executive Secretary

In order to facilitate the implementation of Presidential

Decree No. 390, the following were issued:

By the Budget Commission — Budget Circular No.

238, dated February 18, 1974, on the grant of living allowances to

government employees; and

By the Department of Labor — Interpretative Bulletin on

Letter of Instruction No. 174, dated March 11, 1974, on the grant of

living allowances to employees of private firms.