Rama wants council to set bonus amount
While he hopes “much” would be given to City Hall employees as Charter Day bonus, Mayor Michael Rama wants the City Council to decide on the amount.
Rama said he does not want to set the amount anymore after the City Council disapproved of his proposed P35,000 Christmas bonus for each city hall employee last December. The mayor said he will leave the decision to the council and the members of the Local Finance Committee.
“Or the Sangguniang Panlungsod will come up with what they believe and then bring it to the local finance or as a mayor (I will) be requested by the Sanggunian,” said Rama.
“Basta dili ko mag unauna… I have no idea how much,” he added.
In a separate interview, Local Finance Committee (LFC) chairman, Atty. Jerone Castillo, said they will not be calling the shots as far as the amount for the Charter Day bonus is concerned.
According to him, they have been instructed by the mayor that the granting of bonuses must first be referred to the city council.
“The local finance cannot ask as of this time unless there is an amount suggested by the Sangguniang Panlungsod,” said Castillo.
Echoing what the mayor has told them, Castillo said the mayor no longer wants to promise an amount only to be slashed by the council like the Christmas bonus.
To recall, Rama announced a P35,000 Christmas bonus for all regular and casual employees of the Cebu City Hall last December. Additionally, Vice Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia also authored an ordinance that will stand as legal basis to back the granting of P10,000 gratuity pay to each job order (JO) employee.
However, during the regular council session on December 13, 2023 the legislative body only approved P20,000 Christmas bonus while P5,000 gratuity pay for Jos.
Rama then promised that he will lobby for the remaining amount of his promised Christmas bonus will be given but the Council again disapproved his proposed supplemental budget for being “unnecessary.”
“Sulti sa mayor na dili na siya gusto mahitabo tung previous where he made a statement and he thought it was initially supported by the Sanggunian and it was not the one being granted, mao nang karon, para wala na gyuy issues and concerns, the Sanggunian suggest,” said Castillo.
Castillo, however, said that the proposal may still be subject to a process. Among these, is to identify the source of funds to support it.
As chairman of the LFC, Castillo said they are now preparing to submit a letter from the Office of the Mayor that has prior approval from the city council.
“Para maka preparar mi… then the LFC can already source out the needed amount and kung pila man gyud na, wala man sad mi kabalo kung pila,” said Castillo.
But Castillo assured the employees that there is that intention to give a Charter Day bonus.