Early bonuses set for gov’t workers

Government employees will get the remaining 50 percent of their yearend bonus and Christmas cash gift beginning Nov. 15, Malacañang said yesterday.

Budget and Management Secretary Emilia Boncodin told reporters she has signed the Cash Release Program amounting to a P9.3 billion allocation in this year’s national budget to pay the second half of the bonus and cash gifts of some 1.2 million civil servants.

"I have instructed all DBM officials concerned to release the corresponding Notice of Cash Allocations immediately to give agencies ample time to prepare the payroll and facilitate payment of (the remaining half of) the yearend benefits of government workers," she said.

Boncodin said the P9.3-billion allocation for the yearend bonus and cash gift includes the five percent salary increase for all government employees, which took effect last July.

Civil servants shall be paid their yearend bonus and cash gifts not earlier than Nov. 15, but no later than Nov. 30, she added.

Boncodin said local governments, government financial institutions, and government-owned and controlled corporations are also authorized to pay their employees bonus and cash gifts to be taken from their own funds.

Last June, government employees received half of their yearend bonus and uniform cash gifts of P5,000. – Marichu Villanueva