‘EARLY CHRISTMAS’ FOR CEBU CITY, MANDAUE CITY

The two local government units have started releasing the year-end bonuses and cash gifts of regular employees, while job-order employees in Mandaue will receive their differential pay

The distribution of the 14thmonth bonus of regular workers at the Mandaue City Hall started Friday, Nov. 16, and will last until next week. They will also receive the P5,000 cash bonus mandated by the Department of Budget and Management.

Mandaue City has 700 regular workers, including elected officials.

The bonuses will range from P110,000 as the highest amount to P15,000 as the lowest amount.

The City Government set aside P37 million for this purpose.

City Treasurer Regal Oliva said the City allotted P25 million for allowances and bonuses, including the differential pay of the more than 3,000 job-order (JO) employees who will receive not less than P5,000.

Barangay health workers (BHWs) and barangay nutrition scholars will also receive their differential pay that will amount to not less than P2,000.

Their differential pay is their retroacted salary from June to November this year, in compliance with the minimum wage rate mandated for Region 7.

The City has 3,200 JO employees and close to 400 BHWs and nutrition scholars.

Bonuses for teachers

The City also set aside P12 million for the bonuses of 2,700 public school teachers, who will receive P5,000 each.

Because the City is releasing bonuses early, Oliva’s unsolicited advice to recipients is to make their money stretch to reach Christmas day.

Meanwhile, 80 percent of employees of the Cebu City Government already received their yearend bonus and cash gift, which were released starting on Thursday, Nov. 15.

City Treasurer Veronica Morelos said they are still processing the payroll of those who have yet to receive their year-end bonus and cash gift.

The City Council recently authorized the executive department to grant a year-end bonus and cash gift to the qualified employees.

The year-end bonus is equivalent to the employee’s onemonth salary, while the cash gift is P5,000.

“Those employees who have yet to receive should not worry because as soon as their payrolls will be processed, we will release the one-month year-end bonus plus P5,000 cash gift,” Morelos said.

She said the City Treasurer’s Office is expected to complete the distribution within the week.

Both regular and casual employees of the City are qualified to receive the bonus and the cash gift.

The City has more than 5,000 employees.

Only those employees who have rendered at least four months of service are qualified to receive the year-end bonus and cash gift.