Rama to pursue giving bonuses

CEBU, Philippines - Even with the announcement of Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young that the City Council may not approve the granting of a Charter Day bonus to all City Hall officials and employees, Mayor Michael Rama said he will pursue it and include the needed amount in the first Supplemental Budget for this year.

Rama said City Treasurer Ofelia Oliva and Budget Officer Nelfa Briones told him that the city has enough surplus to grant a Charter Day bonus to all city officials and employees, as well as fund projects that were not funded under the 2012 Annual Budget.

But Rama refused to tell the media of the total amount of surplus or unused funds out of the 2011 budget before he got the official documents from the city treasurer’s and budget offices.

The mayor said although the city already gave a P10,000 Christmas bonus to each of the city officials and employees last December, he said it is different from the Charter Day bonus.

“Other public corporations and local government units give very big bonuses. He does not understand because he has never been an employee,” Rama said, referring to Young.

Young said he wants to know why the mayor wants to give bonuses to all city officials and employees.

The vice mayor said instead of spending the surplus of the budget on bonuses to the employees, it would be better if Rama will spend it on medicines or needed spare parts of defective garbage trucks.

The Department of Public Services was compelled to rent 10 garbage trucks from private companies because many of its garbage trucks are no longer in running condition.

If the mayor decides to give P10,000 to each of the city officials and employees for the Charter Day bonus, he needs at least P50 million. –/BRP (FREEMAN)