Bonuses for barangays to be out soon

CEBU, Philippines -  Officials and employees of the 80 barangays in Cebu City will soon receive their year-end bonus and cash gift.

Cebu City Accountant Marietta Gumia had advised all barangays to process the release of these benefits starting November 15 and to submit a certification to their office for the preparation of the payroll.

Gumia said Budget Circular No. 2010-1, which spells out the guidelines for the grant of year-end bonus and cash gift, has likewise been issued by her department.

The circular allows local government units (LGUs), government financial institutions (GFIs) and government owned and/or controlled corporations (GOCCs) to “source the payment for these benefits from their respective local or corporate funds.”

Based on the circular, the qualified elective or appointive barangay officials and employees are entitled to one-half of the year-end bonus and cash gift which is based on their honorarium rates and subject to the personal services limitation of local government budgets.

Under the Budget Circular, a government employee is entitled to a year-end bonus that is equivalent to one month of their salary and a P5,000 cash gift.

Gumia said the cash gift is chargeable against savings from “personal services, maintenance and other operating expenses, gender and development fund and the special provision allocation as productivity enhancement incentives.”

But Gumia pointed out that personnel who were found guilty of some cases and meted penalty shall not be entitled to the year-end bonus and cash gift in the year the decision was handed down.

If the penalty meted out is only reprimand, the penalty shall not disqualify the personnel concerned to receive the benefits.  (FREEMAN)