EMPLOYEES of the Provincial Government of Negros Occidental are "still privileged" despite having a lesser additional bonus this year, Progressive Alliance of Capitol Employees (Pace) president Renelo Lastierre said yesterday, November 17.
On Wednesday, November 15, Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said Capitol workers employees will receive lower additional bonus this year.
"We will be giving only what is allowed. We will stop the policy of giving Incentive Benefit for Exemplary Services (Ibes) because of the Notices of Disallowance by the Commission on Audit (COA) which is subject to the province's appeal before the Supreme Court," Lacson said.
Lastierre said they have other sources for the additional bonus such as the Service Recognition Incentive (SRI) amounting to P10,000; Productivity Enhancement Incentive (PEI)- P5,000; Collective Negotiation Incentive (CNI)- P25,000; and the Performance-Based Bonus (PBB) which is 65 percent of their salary.
"Employees of the provincial government will still receive bigger additional bonus compared to other local government units in the province because we have a CNI for having a duly-accredited union," he said.
Based on the lowest salary grade of an employee, they will receive a minimum of P47, 000 in additional bonus, he pointed out.
Regular, co-terminus and plantilla casual employees will be eligible to receive the additional bonus.
Job order employees, on the other hand, and those classified as contract of service employees will get a gratuity pay of P3,000 to P5,000 and food packs in December, he also said.
Provincial Administrator Atty. Rayfrando Diaz II, meanwhile, said the CNI has been approved by Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson and the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Negros Occidental.
The PBB will be released in January next year, Diaz said, adding that the extra bonus is on top of the 14th month pay equivalent to the the employees’ one month salary plus P5,000 cash gift being released this week.*