P10K bonus OK'd for government workers

MANILA, Philippines – President Aquino has authorized the granting of a P10,000 Productivity Enhancement Incentive to state employees on top of their Christmas bonus and 13th month pay.

Under Administrative Order No. 3 signed on Nov. 25, Aquino said the government’s austerity measures have greatly contributed to keeping the fiscal deficit within target.

“The economy has stabilized; investors’ confidence, trust and faith in the Philippine government have been restored; plans for the effective implementation of government programs such as on education, health, poverty alleviation, and job generation are pursued under the platform of good governance,” Aquino said in the order.

“These accomplishments were achieved through the unwavering support, commitment, and collaborative efforts of all government employees from all sectors and levels of Philippine bureaucracy,” he added.
   
State employees in the executive branch, government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs), and government financial institutions (GIFs) hired on a permanent, temporary, casual or contractual status are entitled to the one-time productivity bonus if they have rendered at least four months of service as of Nov. 30.

Government employees who have rendered less than four months of service as of Nov. 30 will receive the bonus on a pro-rated basis: 40 percent for service rendered for three months but less than four months, 30 percent for service rendered for two months but less than three months, 20 percent for work rendered for a month but less than two months, and 10 percent for work rendered for less than a month.

The employees should also not have received any additional year-end benefit in the current fiscal year other than the P5,000 Christmas bonus.

The productivity bonus for employees of the executive branch will be sourced from the 2010 budget savings of the national government agencies (P7,000 for each employee) and from savings in the allotments of the respective agencies of state workers (P3,000 for each employee).

If the savings of the agencies are not enough to fund the balance of P3,000, it is advised that the bonus be given at a lower but uniform rate.

For employees of GOCCs and GIFs, the productivity bonus will be sourced from the savings of the corporate budgets for 2010.

If the corporate savings are not enough to fund the bonus, a partial but uniform rate can be disbursed.

Employees of the Senate, House of Representatives, the judiciary, the Office of the Ombudsman, and constitutional offices are also entitled to the bonus which may be charged to savings in allotments of their offices.

The granting of the bonus to employees of local government units (LGUs) will have to be determined by the local council.

The productivity bonus will likewise be sourced from the LGUs’ savings in 2010.

The payment of the bonus to state employees shall be made not earlier than Dec. 15.

Escudero: Uniform bonus for all gov’t employees in 2012 budget - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

Escudero: Uniform bonus for all gov’t employees in 2012 budget - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

A senator has proposed a uniform bonus, on top of the mandated 13th month pay, for all government employees in the 2012 national budget.

Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero made this proposal after learning during Wednesday's plenary deliberations of the 2011 national budget that like in the past, no specific allocation for Christmas bonus has been allocated for public teachers next year.

“There is a line item for the 13th month pay or the regular bonus. But if the President says we give P5,000 or P7,000 additional fee, that's where the problem arises. They have to scrounge for savings,” said Senator Edgardo Angara, who sponsored the budget of the Department of Education, responding to Escudero's query.

“The good Secretary is new in his position...But previous practice and tradition in the department would dictate na kapag hindi po nakapag bigay ang Secretary ng dagdag na bonus maliban dun sa 13th month pay since this is by agency, ang tingin ho sa inyo ng inyong mga opisyal at empleyado, mahinang klase at uri ng Secretary dahil hindi nyo napapagtapatan yung bonus na binbigay ng ibang departamento [if the Secretary failed to give an additional bonus on top of the 13th month pay, the officials and employees would regard him as a weak secretary because he couldn’t give the additional bonus being given by other departments],” said Escudero.

He noted that it has been the practice of each government agency to use its savings as sources of additional bonuses for its employees.

Escudero specifically appealed to the DepEd not to touch the funding allocated for the hiring of additional teachers.

“Well even if they want to not touch it, they can’t do it because otherwise, the Department of Budget and Management will not release the corresponding appropriation if they don't actually hire so they won't have any saving from that,” Angara said.

“What I think that they can do is to cut on the electricity and we have other MOOE,” he added.
But Escudero pointed out that the possible sources of savings of the DepEd would be the salary allocated for a teacher, who retires, who resigns and decides to work abroad, and who gets sick and passed away.

The senator hopes that the agencies will stop fooling Congress by proposing certain project and items, which they don't intend to implement from day one so they be used the funding as savings and therefore, source of Christmas bonuses.

“It's too late to propose it now but hopefully, in the budget for 2012... the government can actually provide an item for additional bonuses on top of the 13th month pay, which they usually give anyway so that agencies don't have to, if I may use the word, fool Congress and tell us that they intend to implement these projects, well in fact, you can't and you have no way and you won’t implement it fully anyway because you have to show something for it by way of bonuses to your employees at the end of the year,” said Escudero.

“Hopefully, in the budget for 2012, we can already uniformly provide for the bonus of government officials and employees para alam din nila mula't mula ang pwede nilang asahan [so that they would know from the start what to expect],” he said.

Cash gift, 13th month to be given starting Monday | Sun.Star Network Online

Cash gift, 13th month to be given starting Monday | Sun.Star Network Online

GOVERNMENT employees will receive the second half of their 13th month pay starting Monday, Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Butch Abad said. According to a Bombo Radyo report, Abad also said aside from the 13th month pay, government employees will also receive P5,000 cash gift including President Benigno Aquino III.

The first half of the 13th month pay was given last May.

Abad said the DBM will issue a memorandum circular, which will include civilian government regular employees, contractual or casual, elective or appointed employees and part time government employees to receive the cash gift and the 13th month pay.

Also to be included are uniformed personnel of the Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Department of National Defense, Bureau of Fire Protection at Bureau of Jail Management and Penology.

Malacañang: November 29 special non-working holiday

Idineklara ng Malacañang ang November 29, araw ng Lunes, bilang isang special non-working holiday.

Ito ay kaugnay sa paggunita ng Bonifacio Day sa November 30 na nataon sa araw ng Martes.

Inilipat ang Bonifacio Day sa araw ng Lunes batay sa Repuclic Act 9492 na mas kilala bilang holiday economics ni dating pangulo at ngayon ay kinatawan ng Pampanga Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Samantala, nilinaw ni Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte na hindi inilipat sa araw ng Lunes ang holiday sa November 16 kaugnay sa pagdiriwang ng Eid’l Adha o Feast of Sacrifice ng mga Muslim dahil ang mga religious holidays ay hindi maaaring galawin o ilipat.

CALLING THE ATTENTION OF GI, CMCC and GiCC ALUMNI

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