City teachers get P10T bonus

CEBU, Philippines - Some 4,700 public school teachers in Cebu City had to wait a literally whole day for their P10,000 bonus from Cebu City Hall yesterday.

But despite the inconvenience, many teachers remain cool and grateful to the city government.

“Maghuwat gyud ko bisan maabtan pa’g ugma. Ten thousand gud na. Dako na na’g tabang,” said Marietta Penetrante, a fourth year teacher at the Abellana National School.

A teacher for 40 years now, Penetrante said it is the first time they will receive such yearend bonus from the city.

During the past years, one teacher said, they received only promises.

The release of the teachers’ bonus was postponed at least twice already.

Penetrante said it would have been better if the city government released the money through their ATMs.

She arrived at the Zapatera Elementary School before 8 a.m. She said she spent over P200 for snacks, lunch and taxi while waiting for the city government to release their bonus.

Jocelyn Estonilo left the mountain barangay of Lusaran at 6a.m. bringing her three kids with her. They arrived at the Zapatera Elementary School past 7 a.m. after an hour travel via a motorcycle.

She said she left her kids at a relative in Mandaue City because she does not have the budget to feed them for the whole day.

Some teachers, especially those who live within the urban area, were wise enough to wait a text from their fellow teachers before they went to the venue of the distribution to avoid waiting.

But the city government was not spared from criticisms from irate teachers who had to wait for hours.

One teacher, who refused to be named, lamented that what worsened the situation was that nobody from City Hall gave them updates.

City Mayor Michael Rama said he does not want to play the blame game and will wait after the New Year to investigate what caused the delay.

“Ang importante, mahuman ang distribution and ma-enjoy nila ang New Year,” Rama said.

The mayor admitted though he received reports from his men about the ‘extra hands’ trying to prevent the release of the assistance.

He said though they will be dealt with at the right time.  Talks among city officials floated up an alleged sabotage by the other party.

Lawyer Johnsons Hontanosas, special counsel for legal matters, said there would not have been a distribution yesterday had they not went to the bank to fix the matter. 

Reportedly, Land Bank of the Philippines had a hard time raising the P47 million cash needed for the distribution of bonus yesterday.

But Hontanosas said the cash was already reserved two days ago and was supposedly ready for withdrawal last Wednesday. For some reason, he said, the City Treasurer’s Office halted the transaction.

“Remember that the bank cannot store cash of that amount overnight. So they had to release it again when the CTO did not withdraw it,” Hontanosas said.

Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young told the media there is nothing new about the Mayor putting the blame on the council. — /LPM (FREEMAN)