‘Give 13th month pay on or before Christmas,’ DOLE tells employers

MANILA, Philippines — As Christmas draws near, Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre Bello III reminded the employers to release the 13th month pay of their employees.

“Reminder lang po sa ating mga employers, ‘wag ninyong kalimutan. Maliwanag ang batas. You have to give your employees, on or before Christmas day, their 13th month pay,” Bello said in a recorded interview with the press.

“Kaya pati yung mga kasambahay entitled ‘yon ha. Tax-free ‘yan,” he added.

The Department of Labor and Employment said the 13th month pay is a mandatory benefit to rank and file employees. It was required by Presidential Decree No. 851 signed by late President Ferdinand Marcos.

Under the rules, the 13th month pay should be paid not later than December 24 of each year.

“An employer, however, may give to his employees one-half of the 13th month pay before the opening of the regular school year and the other half on or before the 24th day of December of every year,” the DOLE said.

Any rank and file employees in any nature of employment who have worked for at least a month during a year are entitled to receive the mandatory benefit.

According to the DOLE, the 13th month pay should not be less than 1/12 of the total basic salary earned by an employee within a calendar year.

The pay also does not include maternity leave benefits. — Rosette Adel