MANILA – The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has approved the upgrading of the existing positions for government psychologists, in line with the promotion of inclusive and effective mental health programs for public servants.
DBM Secretary Amenah Pangandaman approved the request of the National Center for Mental Health (NCMH) and the Department of Health (DOH) to adjust the government psychologists’ salary grades (SG) following a thorough study.
The upgrade covers all Psychologist I, II, and III positions, whether regular, casual, contractual, or full-time.
Based on Budget Circular 2024-5 issued by Pangandaman on December 10, Psychologist I posts will have an adjusted salary grade from SG 11 to SG 16.
The salary grade for Psychologist II will be raised from SG 15 to SG 18, while the salary grade for Psychologist III will be upgraded from SG 18 to SG 20.
The adjustments will take effect on January 1, 2025, according to the budget circular.
“Magle-level up na po ang salary grade ng ating mga existing psychologists sa gobyerno (The salary grade of our existing government psychologists will level up). I know that is long overdue for our dear psychologists in government, but we are happy that under the term of our President (Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.), nagkatotoo na po (it now becomes a reality),” Pangandaman said.
“We all know that prioritizing mental health programs is fundamental to fostering a healthy and productive workforce. The upgrade in psychologist positions in government is an important step toward strengthening our mental health initiatives,” she added.
The decision to upgrade the salary grade of government psychologists is in recognition of the higher qualifications required of them upon entering gov’t service, including having a master’s degree and 200 hours of supervised practicum, internship or clinical experience.
Pangandaman hoped that the upgrade of positions would encourage more psychologists to join the government, stressing that her decision complements the overall agenda of Marcos in support of the mental health advancement in the country.
“How can we hire or attract experts or high-caliber personnel if the salary we offer is way below than the pay they deserve? With the upgrading, we hope to be able to recruit more psychologists in the government sector, so we can also develop and enhance mental health of government workers across the bureaucracy,” she said. (PNA)