MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews/30 Dec) — Officials and employees of Bukidnon’s local government units received performance enhancement incentives (PEIs) ranging from P7,000 to P100,000 this year.
In Valencia City, City Councilor Glenn Peduche told MindaNews that they approved a PEI scheme giving heads of offices and councilors P100,000 each. The rest of the regular employees received P70,000 each; casual employees P60,000; and job order or contractual employees, P7,000.
Peduche said the total amount of PEI released is between P56 and P60 million.
The Department of Budget and Management in a statement posted on December 12 in www.gov.ph, said the PEI is an “across-the-board bonus” that is distributed annually to qualified government employees, the amount of which will depend on savings generated by the National
Government. This year, the PEI for each employee will amount to P5,000, regardless of rank or function.
Local government employees and personnel in government-owned or -controlled corporations (GOCCs) that are under the DBM’s supervision can also receive the bonus, the DBM added.
Budget Secretary Florencio Abad said PEIs of LGUs will be charged against their respective operating funds.
“PEI rates in LGUs are determined by the respective Sanggunian to fit the LGU financial capabilities, and are subject to personal services limitations in local government units,” he added.
The provincial government of Bukidnon released PEIs of P70,000 to regular and casual employees and P35, 000 to job order and part time employees before Christmas, provincial officials confirmed to MindaNews.
Regular employees received P10,000 more compared than last year’s P60,000. In 2010, it was P80,000 for regular employees.
Board member Ranulfo Pepito, chair of the Committee on Appropriations, told MindaNews on Friday that the supplemental budget for the PEI this year was approved on December 13, during the regular session after they tackled the calamity funds.
Pepito cited that “savings from different offices and from the provincial economic enterprise” was the source of the available funds for the incentives.
However, he could not give actual figures on the total budget for the PEIs.
According to the tentative computation on December 11, as presented in the session, a total of P188.21 million for 2,583 employees was proposed for the PEI. Provincial Accountant Richel Okit said the estimates as to the number of employees and their classifications were corrected during the session.
In Malaybalay City, the city government also released PEI of P25, 000 for regular employees and P12,500 for job order employees sourced from the P42 million savings from different offices.
Regular employees received P15,000 less than last year’s P40,000 each.
Councilor Bob Casanova, chair of the Committee on Appropriations, reportedly said additional release might be possible in the first quarter of 2013.
Councilors blocked an attempt to slash P30 million from the P130 million earmarked for the construction of the proposed new City Hal, to keep the PEI budget at the same level as last year’s.
Many employees told reporters they borrowed against their PEIs, thinking they would still receive P40,000. (Walter I. Balane/MindaNews)
