State workers to get P7,000 Christmas bonus

MANILA, Philippines - President Arroyo has authorized the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to release funds for the P7,000 Christmas bonus for all state workers.

Malacañang said the yuletide bonus would be given to all state workers, including regular, contractual, and casual employees, starting next week. The funds will be sourced from the unused funds of various government agencies.

Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya said this year’s cash gift is higher than the P5,000 released to state workers last year. The cost to the national coffers would amount to over P7 billion.

“Based on our computation, the cash gift will be a minimum of P7,000 and a maximum of P10,000,” Andaya said.

Andaya announced local government units, government financial institutions and government-owned and controlled corporations are also authorized to grant bonuses to be taken from their savings or corporate funds.

He said state workers could get an additional P3,000 bonus depending on the savings of their government agency.

Employees at the House of Representatives are more fortunate than their counterparts in other government offices.

While most state personnel are getting less than a month’s salary as Christmas bonus, the 3,600 workers in the House are receiving a total of P60,000.

Speaker Prospero Nograles told The STAR yesterday that the huge bonanza represents “accumulated benefits.”

“We are releasing the money at a time our employees need it most,” he said.

A source in the Committee on Accounts said the House is able to give a huge amount of benefits “because reforms in the use of funds have enabled us to save millions, which we are giving to our employees.”

The committee, chaired by Misamis Occidental Rep. Herminia Ramiro, manages the House budget.

Personnel of the chamber said the P60,000 bonanza consists of a P25,000 Speaker’s bonus, P15,000 grocery allowance, P10,000 inflation allowance, and a P10,000 bonus from Mrs. Arroyo.

The President’s bonus is only P7,000, but Nograles had it increased to P10,000.

They said they have already received P50,000 and are awaiting the remaining P10,000.

It was not known how much Senate personnel are getting in Christmas bonus.

When Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile took over the Senate presidency from Sen. Manuel Villar, he and Sen. Panfilo Lacson, whom he chose as accounts committee chairman, gave an additional P5,000 monthly allowance to Senate personnel.

This year, Congress has a budget of P7.6 billion, of which P4.7 billion is for the House of Representatives. – Jess Diaz