THE province's two cities - Angeles and San Fernando - are a study in contrast in their granting of the yearly cash gifts on Christmas to their respective employees.
One is conservative, the other, liberal. Angeles City government will give only a minimal, still yet undetermined amount to its workers. The capital city hall will give every worker P10,000.
Angeles City Administrator Bong Alvaro said the cash gifts, which will be determined by Mayor Francis "Blueboy" Nepomuceno, will depend on the availability of funds. Needless to say.
Mayor Oscar S. Rodriguez is more definitive and enviable: the extra cash will come from the city government savings - meaning there is no doubt about the availability of funds.
As if that was not enough, the mayor also announced the granting of a 10 percent salary increase on top of the Christmas bonus.
Apparently, the difference lies in the two LGUs financial condition. San Fernando has just been named a first-class city owing to its revenue increase.
Angeles, however, has been in that category for years. Presumably, both should be on equal footing, income-wise.
San Fernando's growing financial stability is a positive indicator of at least two things: more efficient tax collection and an expanding tax base, a function of a flourishing business community.
How Angeles City is doing in these two important concerns for the local government has yet to be determined. It is possible that it also just as doing well in these areas.
The "minimal" cash gifts that the City Government is planning to approve may have more to do with a tighter fiscal policy than availability of funds.
But that will need a little more credible explanation, considering the example set by the City of San Fernando, not to mention the provincial government, which has shown an exceptional generosity to its employees by granting a P20,000 cash gift to each worker.
The cash gift issue may be tougher than it looks for Angeles City.
