Gov’t workers to get bonus, cash gift

MANILA, Philippines — Government employees will receive their year-end bonus equivalent to one month’s salary and a P5,000 cash gift with their November pay, with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) directing agencies to ensure the benefits are released on schedule.

The DBM said it had released P82.998 billion to cover the benefits of qualified civilian employees and military and uniformed personnel, reminding agencies to include the payments in their first November payroll instead of releasing them separately at a later date.

Under DBM Budget Circular No. 2024-3, qualified personnel are entitled to a year-end bonus equivalent to their basic monthly salary as of Oct. 31, plus a P5,000 cash gift.

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Budget Secretary Kim Robert de Leon said on Saturday the funds had already been released to concerned agencies. “We know that this will be a big help to our employees and their families, especially with Christmas approaching,” he said.

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READ: DBM streamlines release of pay, benefits for gov’t workers

“More importantly, this is our way of recognizing and thanking our government workers for their hard work, dedication, and continued service to the Filipino people,” he added.

More incentives

Of the total allocation, P73.449 billion is earmarked for year-end bonuses and P9.549 billion for the cash gifts.

To qualify, employees must have rendered at least four months or 120 days of aggregate service from Jan. 1 to Oct. 31 and must still be in government service as of Oct. 31.

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READ: Public school teachers, personnel may get 2024 bonus before December

The benefits cover personnel holding regular, contractual or casual positions in the national and local governments, including those who took authorized leave with pay.

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The November benefits are separate from other incentives that government workers may receive in December.

These include the P5,000 Productivity Enhancement Incentive, traditionally paid starting mid-December; the Service Recognition Incentive of up to P20,000, which requires presidential authorization and cannot be paid earlier than Dec. 15; and the Collective Negotiation Agreement incentive of up to P30,000, subject to agency savings and existing agreements.

PBB still pending

Meanwhile, the release of the 2024 Performance-Based Bonus (PBB) remains pending for most eligible government agencies, despite President Marcos’ directive to prioritize teachers and personnel in public schools.

The PBB, equivalent to 45.5 to 65 percent of an employee’s monthly basic salary, is a separate incentive based on individual performance and agency accomplishments.

As of Oct. 30, only two of 315 eligible agencies had secured funding, according to the DBM’s online tracker.

The DBM issued special allotment release orders on Oct. 29 for Central Luzon State University, amounting to P24.39 million, and Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology, worth P1.146 million.

Another 258 agencies, or 82 percent, remained under validation, while 51 had submitted Form 1.0, listing employees qualified to receive the bonus.

The Department of Education submitted its form on Oct. 7, but the DBM returned it on Oct. 28 for revisions.

The DBM was also reviewing submissions from the Department of Labor and Employment, Palawan State University, and the University of the Philippines System. Their funding will be released once the submitted employee lists are verified.

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Job order and contract-of-service workers are not eligible for the PBB or other standard government bonuses and incentives. /cb