President Rodrigo Duterte has signed Republic Act 11549 lowering the height requirement for the applicants of the Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, and Bureau of Corrections.
The measure, signed by Duterte on Wednesday, lowers the minimum height requirement for male applicants in the law enforcement agencies from 1.62 meters to 1.57 meters.
For female applicants, the original height limit of 1.57 meters is lowered to 1.52 meters.
A waiver for height requirement will be automatically granted to applicants belonging to the cultural communities or indigenous peoples.
In the Senate, Majority Leader Miguel Zubiri said he believed the lowering of height requirement would encourage more Filipinos to become policemen, firefighters, and jail and correction officers.
Senator Ronald dela Rosa, a former PNP chief, also believed the measure was a “key in opening the gates of public service.”
Meanwhile, Duterte has signed a law granting him the power to defer the increases in Social Security System premium contributions this year.
Under Republic Act 11548, the deferment of the SSS contribution hikes will take effect “for the duration of the state of calamity” due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The measure amends RA 11199 or the Social Security Act which allows the Social Security Commission, the governing body of the SSS, to implement the contribution rate hike.
A one-percent contribution increase is imposed on SSS members every two years beginning 2019 until 2025, based on RA 11199.
Meaning, the SSS members’ contribution rate will increase to 13 percent beginning January 2021 from a contribution rate of 12 percent in 2020.
However, RA 11548 includes a new phrase that states that “the implementation of one-percent 2021 increase in contribution rates and the monthly salary credits provided in this section may be suspended by the President of the Philippines for the duration of the state of calamity under Proclamation No. 929.”
On March 16 last year, Duterte signed Proclamation 929 declaring a nationwide state of calamity due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The entire Philippines is placed under a state of calamity for six months, “unless earlier lifted or extended as circumstances may warrant,” according to the proclamation.
“The other scheduled contribution rates and the monthly salary credits herein provided shall continue to be valid,” according to the newly-signed law.