WHEREAS, the international energy crisis is anticipated to lead to an increase in the price of imported oil and consequently in the cost of living;

WHEREAS, there exists a big gap in the salary of government and private sector lawyers;

WHEREAS, it is necessary to adjust the salary of government employees to allow them to cope with increased costs.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby order the implementation of the following measures to upgrade the compensation of the lawyer classes of positions in the national government:

1. The minimum salary of the lowest-level lawyer position in the service of the national government shall be increased from P658 a month to P992 a month.
   
2. The salary ranges of certain lawyer classes of positions in the National Compensation and Position Classification Plans shall be upgraded as follows, in lieu of the salary increases directed under Letter of Implementation No. 82.
   
   

   Groups / Classes		Present Range	Upgraded Range
   HEARING OFFICIATING GROUP
   	Hearing Officer I	54	63
   	Hearing Officer II	56	65
   	Hearing Officer III	61	68
   	NAPOLCOM Hearing Officer	64	70
   	NAPOLCOM Supervising Hearing Officer	66	72
   	Hearing Officer IV	66	72
   	Chief Hearing Officer	68	75 (3rd step)
   LABOR RELATIONS AND CONCILIATION GROUP
   	Mediator Arbiter	60	67
   	Senior Mediator Arbiter	62	69
   	Labor Arbitration Specialist	62	69
   	Supervising Mediator Arbitor	65	71
   	Senior Labor Arbitration Specialist	65	71
   	Chief Labor Arbitration Specialist	68	74
   LEGAL COUNCSELLING GROUP
   	Legal Officer I	51	61
   	Legal Officer II	54	63
   	PAEC Legal Officer II	55	63
   	NBI Legal Officer II	57	63
   	Legal Officer III	58	65
   	NBI Legal Officer III	59	65
   	PAEC Legal Officer III	59	65
   	Legal Officer IV	60	67
   	PAEC Legal Officer IV	61	67
   	Senior Legal Officer	62	69
   	Assistant Chief Legal Officer	65	73
   	NBI Assistant Chief Legal Officer	67	73
   	Chief Legal Officer	66	75 (2nd step)
   	State Counsel I	66	72
   	Department Legal Counsel	68	75 (4th step)
   	State Counsel II	68	74
   	NSDB Legal Counsel	68	75 (3rd step)
   	Special Assistant to the Secretary of Justice	69	75
   	NBI Chief Legal Officer	70	75 (2nd step)
   	Senior State Counsel	70	75 (2nd step)
   	Overseas Employment Legal Counsel	71	75 (3rd step)
   	Senior Special Assistant to Secretary of Justice	71	75 (3rd step)
   LEGAL RESEARCH GROUP
   	Court Decision Reporter	51	61
   	Research Attorney I	51	61
   	Research Attorney II	58	65
   	NBI Research Attorney II	59	65
   	Senior Research Attorney	60	67
   	NBI Senior Research Attorney	61	67
   	Labor Appeals Research Attorney	65	71
   	Chief Research Attorney	65	74
   	NBI Chief Research Attorney	66	74
   TRIAL ATTORNEYS GROUP
   	Trial Attorney I	54	63
   	Trial Attorney II	58	67
   	Trial Attorney III	62	69
   	Citizens Attorney	62	68
   	District Citizens Attorney	64	70
   	Trial Attorney IV	66	75 (2nd step)
   	Senior Citizens Attorney	66	72
   	Supervising Citizens Attorney	70	75 (2nd step)

   
   
3. Special allowances now received by groups of lawyers in the government  service which are inconsistent with those established under B. P. No. 1 shall cease as of April 30, 1979, the provisions  of P.D. No. 1426 and other similar decrees or directives to  the contrary notwithstanding: Provided, That the resulting effective increase in total compensation shall not be less  than  5%.
   
4. The Minister of the Budget shall make the necessary adjustments in cases where problems in supervisor-subordinate salary relationship arise as a result of the upgrading directed by this Letter.
   
5. Funds needed to implement this Letter shall be drawn from appropriations for salary increase provided in agency budgets by B. P. No.  1, Any deficiency shall be drawn from salary lapses or other personal services savings of the agency concerned.  Any remaining deficiency shall be funded from the Salary Adjustment Fund provided in B. P. No. 1.
   
6. The salary upgrading directed by this Letter shall be effective May 1, 1979.
   
7. The rules  and regulations needed to comply with this Letter shall be  formulated and issued by the Ministry of the Budget.

Done in the City of Manila, this 31st day of March, nineteen hundred and seventy-nine.

				(Sgd.) FERDINAND E. MARCOS
				President
				Republic of the Philippines
	By the President:
	(Sgd.) JUAN C. TUVERA
		Presidential Assistant