SENATOR Christopher “Bong” Go has introduced a measure in the 19th Congress increasing the service incentive leave (SIL) of private sector employees in the country.

Go filed Senate Bill No. 1705 which amends Article 95 of the Labor Code of the Philippines, mandating employers to give their employees a yearly SIL of ten days with pay.

Currently, the SIL is granted to a worker who has been in service within 12 months, whether continuous or broken, reckoned from the date the employee started working, including authorized absences and paid regular holidays.

Go, however, noted that the Labor Code also provides that if the employer opts to grant employees with vacation leaves of at least five days, the employer shall be deemed compliant with the mandatory grant of the SIL. In effect, the mandatory leave credits are at a minimum of five days only and other leaves.

To further incentivize employees, Go said that his proposed measure seeks to amend the Labor Code by increasing SIL from 5 days to 10 days for every year of service rendered.

“The granting of this additional incentive leave is in recognition to the critical role and sacrifices that employees play in nation-building,” said Go.

“This measure also aims to boost the morale and satisfaction of employees which are manifested in increased productivity and minimize the risk of health and safety issues among employees,” he added.

Recognizing the critical role and significant contribution of workers in the society, Go said that greater protection and promotion of their rights and welfare shall mean better performance of the economy.

“Habang dahan-dahang bumabalik ang sigla ng ekonomiya, dapat suportahan natin sila at bigyan ng mga proteksyon ang ating mga manggagawa dahil sila ang tunay na backbone ng ating ekonomiya,” Go stressed.

“Sama-sama nating ibabalik ang sigla ng ating kabuhayan. Bukas ang aking opisina sa kung ano pa ang pwede naming maitulong sa kanila,” he added.

Go was instrumental in the enactment of Republic Act No. 11466 or the Salary Standardization Law 5, which he authored and co-sponsored, that gives civilian government employees their salary increases broken down in tranches.

According to the Department of Budget and Management, the last tranche of mandatory salary increases for state employees went into effect on January 1 this year.

Last year, Go also filed SBN 1183, or the proposed “Media and Entertainment Workers’ Welfare Act”, which seeks to provide enhanced protection, security and incentives for media workers through additional health insurance package, overtime and night differential pay, and other benefits.

To ensure that those who reside in rural areas lacking job opportunities are taken care of, Go also filed SBN 420, which seeks to offer temporary employment to eligible members of low-income rural households who are ready to perform unskilled physical labor for a period of time.

Finally, the senator also filed SBN 1184 and 1191 which aims to further protect the welfare and interest of the country’s delivery service riders and seafarers, respectively.