Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada (File photo) MANILA - Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada pressed the need to double the amount of government subsidy to state workers to augment their earnings amid the continuing rise in the cost of living, aggravated by the spike in oil prices. "Sa pagtaas ng inflation rate o ang pagtaas ng presyo ng ilang pangkaraniwang serbisyo at produktong binibili ng mga konsyumer, hindi na makabuluhan ang halaga ng Personnel Economic Relief Allowance (PERA) na natatanggap ng mga manggagawa sa gobyerno (With the high inflation rate, the amount of PERA received by government workers is inconsequential )," Estrada, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development, said in a news release on Sunday. Estrada said "it is timely" to raise the PERA to PHP4,000 to cover some expenses of government workers, who usually respond to public duties, especially during times of crisis and calamity. In his Senate Bill 1027,