City Hall employees receive long awaited allowances for 2006

CEBU, Philippines – After three years, City Hall employees finally received their year-worth of Accomplishment Compensation Allowance and Personnel Emergency Relief Allowance for 2006.

The more than 4,000 employees received P12,000 each last Friday during the culmination of the week-long celebration of the city’s Charter Day. The amount represented the accumulated allowances of P500 per month during that year.

Assistant Treasurer Emma Villarete said the release of the allowances was in fulfillment of the city’s promise for a gift to the employees during Charter Day.

The allowances were released through Supplemental Budget No. 2 authored by councilor Jose Daluz, chairman of the City Council Committee on Budget and Finance.

The Supplemental Budget was covered with P60 million from the General Fund and P45 million from the Special Accounts.

The allowances were introduced last 2006 but these were not realized owing to budgetary constraints. In 2007, the allowances were subsequently raised to P1,000 each monthly but the amount released last week was based on the 2006 rate.

A factor that made the release possible was the P250 million worth of surplus the city managed to obtain in 2008, backed by first sale it made from the South Road Properties.

Aside from the release of the allowances, the first supplemental budget for 2009 amounting to P50 million also paved the way for the release of birthday and Christmas gifts for senior citizens. — Ferliza C. Contratista/JMO (THE FREEMAN)