Lawmaker pushes wage hike for govt IT experts

BOHOL 3rd District Rep. Kristine Alexie Tutor said she would push for the salary increase of government information technology (IT) specialists, citing their crucial role in protecting critical digital infrastructure and government websites from cyberattacks.

Tutor issued the statement after the websites of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp., the Department of Science and Technology, and the House of Representatives were hacked or suffered from malware attacks over the past few weeks.

«Perhaps, more plantilla positions can be created, especially for critical IT agencies and units of the national government, as well as regulatory agencies with jurisdiction over strategic or critical infostructure,» Tutor said, noting she plans to confer with IT practitioners, cybersecurity educators, and other stakeholders before presenting her proposal to Civil Service Commission Chairman Karlo Alexei Nograles.

«Applicants or aspirants who have superior qualifications, relevant private sector experience, and expertise should be for the higher salary grade levels. Perhaps those who have cybersecurity qualifications and experience should be in the range of SG 22 to 25,» Tutor added.

SG-22 Step 1 equates to a P71,151 monthly salary, while SG-25 ranges from P102,690 in Step 1 to P115,012 in Step 8.

Tutor said that recruitment standards should be strong to ensure that those hired by the government are bonafide experts in their fields.