DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 19 December) – The City Council of Davao is rushing the passage of a P187.324-million supplemental budget to ensure that the job order (JO) and contract of service (COS) workers of the local government receive their gratuity pay before yearend.
The council convened for a special session on Friday to approve on first reading an ordinance granting legislative authority to Fiscal Year 2025 Supplemental Budget No. 3, which consists of the general fund proper and the economic enterprises.
In an interview on Friday, Councilor Danilo C. Dayanghirang, chair of the committee on finance, ways and means, and appropriations, told reporters that the draft ordinance was only filed on December 19 since the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) only released Budget Circular No. 2025-4 last Tuesday.
The circular provides guidelines on the grant of gratuity pay to the COS and JO workers in the government.
Dayanghirang said the proposed ordinance is expected to be passed on second reading in the next special session on December 22.
He said he has no figures yet on how many COS and JO workers in the local government will receive gratuity pay, but noted that this will be determined during the next session.
Under the DBM circular, a gratuity pay of P7,000 will be paid to COS and JO workers who have rendered at least four months of actual satisfactory performance and whose contracts are still effective as of December 15.
It also stated that COS and JO workers who have rendered less than four months of work and whose contracts are still effective as of December 15 are also entitled to gratuity pay on a pro-rata basis.
A gratuity pay of P6,000 will be given to workers who have rendered work for three months but less than four months, P5,000 for those who have rendered work for at least two months but less than three months, and P4,000 for those who have rendered less than two months of work.
According to the circular, granting a yearend gratuity pay is a “well-deserved recognition of their hard work and valuable participation in the implementation of various programs, activities, and projects of the government, and their pivotal role in the delivery of government services amid socio-economic challenges.” (Antonio L. Colina IV/MindaNews)
