Capitol employees told: No more bonus to expect

CEBU, Philippines - Capitol employees may no longer receive additional Christmas bonus since all incentives were allegedly given out ahead of December.

Provincial budget officer Danilo Rodas explained that the Productivity Enhancement Incentive (PEI), which has been interpreted by many as the Christmas bonus, was already released in July.

“Ang kanang ihatag sa December gitawag na man gud nga Christmas bonus, pero PEI gyod na siya,” he said.

The PEI is usually released by the end of the year but the Capitol gave out the incentives earlier following the issuance of the Executive Order 181 signed by President Benigno Simeon Aquino III in May 15. The order provided that the PEI should not be given earlier than June 1.

The Provincial Board approved a total of P32 million for the PEI which was released to over 1,500 employees. Capitol employees who rendered at least a total or an aggregate of four months of service as of May 31, 2015 were entitled to the one-time grant of the PEI which is equivalent to their one month basic salary.

Local government units or agencies that were unable to comply with the required Good Financial Housekeeping were only allowed to grant a fixed amount of P5,000 as PEI to qualified employees.

 Since the Capitol was conferred the award in 2014, all qualified provincial workers were given one month salary.

The other incentives, like the 13th month pay and P5,000 cash gift were already distributed in May and November.

“In other words, tanang incentives provided sa national government, nahatag na tanan,” Rodas said.

Other incentives received by each of the Capitol employees was the P15, 000 across-the-board cash incentive as part of the Collective Negotiation Agreement (CNA) with the Provincial Employees Association of Cebu, Inc. for accomplishing the performance targets at “lesser cost” and attaining “more efficient and valuable operations” through cost-cutting measures and systems improvement.

Rodas, however, said it is up to the national government to grant another bonus to government workers. (FREEMAN)