CH workers won’t receive extra bonus

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña has announced that there will be no extra Christmas bonus this year for City Hall employees.

The mayor said that the 4,200 city employees will only get the mandated bonuses, which are the 13th month pay and the cash gift.

"No Christmas bonus. My priority is always the scholarship. We have to draw the line. I just cannot bear to see people cannot go to school. That's their only chance… but the employees, they already have 13th month, it's even 12 months in one year," the mayor said.

Last year, City Hall employees got P30,000 each as extra Christmas bonus. They also received P20,000 each in 2013 in a form of calamity assistance because of the magnitude 7.2 earthquake and the super typhoon Yolanda.

"We work for the people. Not people working for the employees. That's the difference," he said.

City Administrator Veronica Morelos said the mayor has no directive to give extra Christmas bonus to the employees. She said it has been Osmeña's policy ever since not to give beyond what is mandated by the law.

"But, if there are memorandum circular from the national agencies to give bonus to employees, we will," she said.

Morelos said the practice of the previous administration does not sit well with the current administration.

"Nakasabot rapod atong mga empleyado kay unsaon ta man nang daghan kaayo ta'g madawat, dagko nga amount but pa refund-on ta in the future," she said.

Morelos was referring to the P20,000 calamity assistance in 2013 which the Commission on Audit has disallowed. In fact, it resulted in the suspension of 14 city officials, including former mayor Michael Rama. The suspension was served after the May 2016 elections.

The City Hall employees are also being asked to refund the amount.

One of the City Hall employees, who asked anonymity, said she understood the mayor's position.

"Mas maayong naa gyud kay makabayad ta's utang. Pero kasabot ko anang dili mohatag kay basig mag-refund ta. Anyway, naa naman mi'y 13th ug 14th month," she said. (FREEMAN)