The Philippine Government Employees Association (PGEA) was conceived by government employees in 1941 and was formally organized and established in December 1945.
Our History
PGEA has many success stories, going as far back as advocating for the granting of back pay for government workers after World War II. The association engaged in the negotiations for the implementation of the 5-day work week in the Philippines, the provision of low-cost housing projects for public sector workers, and the national classification and standardization of salaries. In recognition of these efforts, the government aided us in our acquisition of the one-hectare lot where the PGEA office was built.
Our leaders have represented public sector workers in the Boards of Trustees of PhilHealth (PHIC), Pag-IBIG Fund (HDMF), and GSIS. They have also held positions in the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) – Formal Labor Sector and the National Management and Health Workers Consultative Council.
In 2014, PGEA President Esperanza Ocampo became the first Filipino woman to serve as the head of the Workers’ Delegation at 103rd International Labor Conference in Geneva, Switzerland. The 2017 ratification of ILO Convention 151 was spurred on by efforts led by PGEA Vice President Glen Pastorfide along with his team from other public sector unions in their Trade Union Rights Project (2013-2015).
More legislation and executive orders issued after our persistent bargaining and campaigning include Administrative Order 402 (Establishment of a Medical Check-Up Program for Government Personnel), Executive Order 641 (Establishment and Administration of Provident Funds in the Philippines), and annual wage increases under the Salary Standardization Law (SSL) that began in 2007 and has been ensured to endure up to 2023 by SSL 2019.
PGEA has also helped in lowering housing costs and decreasing interest rates to 6%. We’ve spearheaded projects that provide public access to more affordable medicine and essential goods. Our leadership has been instrumental in the issuance of Presidential Proclamation 1130, making official the observance of the annual celebration of Government Employees’ Week.
The list of milestones in PGEA’s history go on and on, proving the effectiveness of unity and solidarity as our vehicle toward the attainment of better welfare, more benefits, and improved working conditions for civil servants.
Philippine Government Employees Association 