Fat bonuses of MWSS execs hit

MANILA, Philippines - Employees expressed indignation yesterday over reports that the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) Board of Trustees had given themselves huge bonuses despite President Aquino’s instruction to cut the allowances and perks of government-owned and controlled corporations.

Nap Quiones, MWSS Labor Association (MLA) vice president, said they were aghast at a report showing that the four trustees had given themselves fat bonuses ranging from P300,000 to P500,000.

“Why is this practice continuing?” he said in Filipino. “In the past administration they were questioning the perks of the MWSS Board of Trustees, but now their perks are legal?”  

Documents from the Governance Commission for GOCCs under the Office of the President showed that in 2012, four members of the MWSS Board of Trustees were given a productivity entitlement incentive representing 90 percent of their total actual annual authorized per diems.  

Ramon Alikpala received P388,800; Gerardo Esquivel, who is also MWSS administrator, received P345,600; Emmanuel Caparas received P504,900; and Benjamin Yambao got P504,900, or a total of P1,744,200.                   

They received the bonuses after the MWSS Board of Trustees issued  Resolution No. 2013-066-CO dated June 6, 2013 declaring its members are entitled to the amount representing the performance-based incentive (PBI) based on Memorandum Circular No. 2012-14.