SURIGAO CITY (MindaNews/23 December) – It’s already Christmas Day on Sunday, and for Surigao City’s temporary employees, the news that they are entitled to receive cash gifts just came in time.
Before taking their Christmas break, city councilors approved a budget ordinance giving cash gifts to the city’s 1,244 job orders, who until recently had been ruled out as recipients of year-end bonuses because City Hall didn’t know where to find funds for them.
City Hall solved the problem by getting savings from several departments, and diverting these to provide job order personnel who have been employed for at least four months as of October 31 with P 5,000.00 each. Those who have served under four months based on the same cut-off date received P3,000.
Regular and contractual employees received P15,000 each, according to City Information Officer Annette Villaces. Contractual employees who have rendered services below six months as of October 31 got P7,500.
Aside from the savings, City Councilor Jose Expeditus B.
Bayana said the cash gifts were also funded from the unreleased appropriation and savings in allotment balances from completed infrastructure projects not covered with contracts except those funded under the 20-percent development fund.
Elective officials and appointed employees with regular status who have rendered an aggregate service of four months as of November 30 got P 15,000.
Although this year’s bonus is lower compared to those given in previous years, recipients said it was better than nothing.
“Maayo nalang ni kay sa wala gyoy madawat. May pambayad na sa utang,” (This is better than getting nothing.
We can now pay our debts) said Nelly Plaza. (Roel N. Catoto/MindaNews)
