No Charter Day bonus for workers in Cebu City

CEBU, Philippines - Unlike last year, employees of the Cebu City government will not be receiving a bonus during the city’s 77th Charter Day on February 24.

This was disclosed by Mayor Michael Rama in a press conference yesterday in response to a query of a city councilor.

“Bonus? I have not thought about it,” said Rama.

The city’s focus right now, Rama said, is the construction of a new building for the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC).

“Total naa pa man sa’y Independence Day (We still have the Independence Day),” Rama said, referring to the national holiday on June 12.

The city employees  also received a P20,000 bonus last year.

Yesterday, during the regular session of the City Council, Councilor James Cuenco asked in jest if Rama would give a Charter Day bonus to the city’s employees.

Last year, some 4,800 regular and casual City Hall employees each received P12,000 as Charter Day bonus for which the Council approved P59.144 million.

Rama originally proposed P7,000 to each of the employees, but the City Council advised him to increase the amount to P10,000. In the end, Rama gave P12,000.

Rama granted the additional P5,000 because the city only gave P10,000 of the P15,000 2012 Christmas bonus that the Council approved.

The mayor did not go with the P15,000 bonus then in order to stay within the budget limit for the personal services. Bonuses are sourced from the savings of the current year.

Before the bonus was mentioned, Cuenco moved for the approval of his resolution, which would grant Ricardo Cardinal Vidal the lifetime service award on Charter Day. — (FREEMAN)