Balamban town employees told to refund overtime pay

CEBU, Philippines – The Commission on Audit asked the municipal assessor and the assistant municipal assessor of the municipality of Balamban to refund the money they had collected for their overtime services.

State auditors said the municipal employees collected P20,400.60 for the overtime services they had rendered two years ago in connection with the revision of the real property taxes of the municipality from November to December 2008.

COA revealed the local officials are not entitled to overtime compensation as provided under NBC 410, which states that the local government units officials and government agencies and employees are exempted from receiving overtime pay.

It added the collected overtime pay was in the violation of Section 284 Volume 1 of the government accounting and auditing manual.

State auditors said rendition of overtime services are paid when authorized, when there was affixed date to be completed and the scheduled date of completion cannot be accomplish within regular work days and hours.

Meanwhile, COA recommended that the municipality should prepare an annual Gender and Development (GAD) plan to systematically design the programs projects and activities with corresponding budget.

It was reported that the municipality did not prepare an annual GAD plan nor appropriated five percent of the annual budget.

However, concerned employees of the municipality said that even if they did not allocate five percent budget for GAD, they claimed they have activities related to GAD and were funded through the different offices of the municipality. (FREEMAN)