Malacañang has temporarily prevented a group of senior government weather specialists from leaving the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) over what they claimed was an act that arbitrarily stripped them of hazard pays and longetivity benefits.
In a press statement, deputy presidential spokesman Abigail Valte admitted that they have already been informed about  the internal tension brewing at the government weather bureau as senior Pagasa officials and the agency’s senior technical experts already spoke openly about the possibility of leaving government service for better remuneration which they claim await them abroad.
Valte claimed that the government has already promptly addressed the Weathermen’s Association’s concerns, which see an extremely bitter sentiment on what they described as an arbitrary cancellation of some benefits due to them.
Asked for details, Valte explained that contrary to the Weathermen Association’s claim, the government never stripped them of their hazard pays and longetivity incentives. She however admitted that financial constraints of the weather bureau compelled the “temporary suspension” of their withheld benefits pending results of the assessment and recommendations that the Department of Budget and Management would submit to the President.
Valte said that hazard pays and longetivity benefit were temporarily suspended because there aren’t enough funds to defray its cost. She added that the problem has been bugging the weather bureau since last year.
“We have been given a clearer and factual account on reports of an alleged imminent mass resignation of government weather bureau officials and personnel. According to Pagasa  and the Department of Science and Technology which has jurisdiction over the weather bureau, the weather specialists themselves have already given an assurance that they won’t go strike. The Union officers also warded off rumors on their alleged plan to resign en masse.
“The truth of the matter is their hazard and longevity pays were not taken from Pagasa’s personnel. They were temporarily suspended pending the availability of funds because they have funding problem from last year. So now, its already with the DBM to assess potential savings of the agency from where funds would be used to cover up their required amount representing hazard and longetivity benefits”, Valte said.
Fernan J. Angeles