Uniform or Clothing Allowance for government employees increase to P5,000 per annum

DBM: 2012 budget for clothing, uniform grant now at P1.3 B

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) announced that government employees will soon enjoy more support for their clothing or uniform expenses, with P5,000 per annum now devoted to their clothing and uniform grant. The amount is higher than the P4,000 yearly allowance appropriated in FY 2011.

“The increase in the Uniform or Clothing Allowance (U/CA) for government employees affirms the Aquino administration’s commitment to provide adequate financial support to our country’s public servants. By scaling up this year’s U/CA to P1.28 billion, we help minimize the financial burden on government employees and give them more legroom to comply with the dress codes of their respective offices,” Budget and Management Secretary Florencio B. Abad said.

He added that P4,000 of the per-annum allotment will be charged against the comprehensive allotment under Personal Services, which was released according to the Agency Budget Matrix for FY 2012. The additional P1,000, on the other hand, will be sourced from the Miscellaneous Personnel Benefits Funds (MPBF) under the 2012 National Budget.

The U/CA hike was announced in a budget circular released by the DBM in February 20 this year, and will cover the uniform or clothing expenses of all civilian government personnel. The budget circular provides updates on the rules and regulations governing the management and release of the U/CA.

Abad emphasized that agencies must first comply with reportorial requirements set by the DBM before they can receive their U/CA under the 2012 MPBF.

“Agency heads need to submit their Budget Accountability Reports before they can secure the funds required to support the U/CA increase. This will allow us to assess and evaluate their budget requirements and, consequently, make the proper releases to support their employees’ clothing expenses,” Abad said.

According to the circular, the U/CA will not cover the clothing and uniform expenses of military and uniformed personnel, who are already supported by a separate fund for their uniform needs. Foreign service personnel stationed abroad are also excluded, since they are not required to wear uniforms and are sufficiently supported by a set living allowance. ,

Other government workers not covered by the U/CA are barangay officials and employees paid monthly honoraria. These personnel are hired on a part-time basis and are not required to comply with dress codes or wear prescribed government uniforms.

The U/CA also does not support workers hired without employee-employer relationships, as well as those funded from non-Personal Services appropriations. These include consultants hired for specific activities/services for a limited period, laborers hired through job contracts and those paid on a piecework basis, student laborers and apprentices, and other workers engaged through job orders, contracts of services, and other similar arrangements.

“Besides defraying the expenses for clothing and uniforms of civilian government employees, the U/CA grant is also designed to identify all personnel with their respective agencies or departments, as well as provide protective clothing for workers engaged in labor-heavy services,” Abad said.

The circular also says that the U/CA may come in the form of uniforms procured through the standard bidding process or textile materials and cash to support tailoring expenses. The grant may also come in the form of cash for incumbents of executive positions who are not required to wear a prescribed uniform or are tasked to secure their own individual uniforms.