CEBU City Councilor Harold Go has called on business establishments to advance the release of their employees’ 13th month pay to help those affected by typhoon “Tino.”
In a Facebook post on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025, Go appealed to business owners to extend compassion and assistance to their workers during the city’s recovery efforts.
Go urged all business owners and establishments to advance the release of the 13th month pay to help employees affected by the typhoon and to coordinate with the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) for proper implementation.
“We appeal to all business establishments to release the 13th month pay early to help employees affected by the recent typhoon,” he said.
Go, who chairs the City Council’s committee on business and urban planning, said he has been coordinating with several companies to ensure proper implementation in compliance with the Dole guidelines.
Following Go’s appeal, Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña announced that several major business process outsourcing (BPO) companies responded positively to the initiative.
In a Facebook post, Osmeña said Accenture and Conduent have agreed to advance the distribution of their employees’ 13th month pay and are already processing it. Synchrony and Concentrix are doing the same.
“Through Councilor Harold Go, we are in talks with other BPOs and businesses for them to follow suit. Hopefully, this will give the workers a little extra breathing room,” Osmeña said.
He also commended several companies for going beyond the 13th month pay initiative and providing additional support to their affected employees.
According to Osmeña, Synchrony not only assisted in rescuing its workers and their families but also temporarily housed them at the Waterfront Hotel.
The company also provided financial assistance for home repairs and even chartered a plane to deliver care packages to Cebu.
Meanwhile, Conduent is providing free transportation and care packages for affected families, while TechMahindra is offering free meals and transportation to employees.
“Dole compliance is also being monitored. Lessons from the earthquake have been implemented and, thankfully, everyone was more prepared this time,” Osmeña said.
He thanked companies that went the extra mile to support their workers and encouraged others to follow their example.
“The advanced 13th month pay was not my idea — it was yours,” Osmeña said, acknowledging the BPO employees who first proposed the initiative. / CAV