The Dumaguete City government headed by Mayor Agustin Perdices will request the Department of Budget and Management to allow local government units to exercise flexibility in the implementation of salary increases.

Perdices said the increase will benefit more only those already receiving higher pay. This was his reaction to the statement of President Gloria Macapal Arroyo that beginning July this year, national and local government units shall implement a 10 percent across-the-board salary hike for government officials and rank and file employees. The mayor said the city will request the DBM to allow it to implement a P1,000 across the board salary hike, instead. He added that he will request Oriental Negros Gov. George Arnaiz to join the city in making such request.

Earlier, Arnaiz indicated his preference for an across-the-board increase in amount, not on percentage, saying that low paid employees will only receive a smaller increase of their pay if the increase is by percentage.

He assured that the city has savings which can be used for the increase, be it by percentage or across-the-board.*RA

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