MANILA, Philippines – The more than 1.5 million government personnel will receive another bonus equivalent to a month’s salary in November.
State workers will also get a uniform P5,000 cash gift.
The incentives are mandated under Executive Order No. 201, which President Aquino issued last February to fulfill a promise to upgrade government compensation.
Under the guidelines Budget Secretary Florencio Abad issued recently, the year-end bonus and cash gift would be given not earlier than Nov. 15.
Covered by the incentives are all state agencies, government corporations and local government units.
Entitled to the bonus and cash gift are personnel who have rendered “at least a total or aggregate of four months of service from Jan. 1 to Oct. 31 of the current year” and who remain in the service as of Oct. 31.
Those who retired or were separated from the service before Oct. 31 would receive a prorated share of the year-end bonus and P5,000 cash gift.
Agencies were authorized to charge the necessary funds to their respective budgets.
The government agencies are responsible for the proper payment of the incentives and will answer for any disbursement not covered by the guidelines. The recipient-employee will be asked to refund an unauthorized bonus and cash gift.
Last May 15, six days after the general elections, government workers received their mid-year bonus, which is also equivalent to one-month salary.
Under the law, bonuses and incentives not exceeding P82,000 a year would be exempt from income tax.
This means that most government personnel will be paid their year-end bonus in full.