CEBU Mayor Nestor Archival confirms Charter Day bonus will happen, but city officials are checking funds to follow audit rules.
Cebu City Hall employees will definitely receive a bonus for the upcoming Charter Day on February 24, but they will have to wait a little longer to know exactly how much.
Archival confirmed on Monday, Jan. 26, 2026, that the City Government is preparing the bonus, though the final amount is still being calculated based on available savings.
“There is no final amount yet, but certainly, employees will receive something,” Archival said.
The City is currently reviewing the budgets of its 27 departments to see how much savings can be used for the incentives. Archival explained that they are consolidating the funds to determine what is affordable.
“We are trying to find what is available. If we have [sufficient] savings, we will distribute accordingly,” he added.
The mayor emphasized that the city wants to be careful this time to avoid legal issues.
In previous years, state auditors from the Commission on Audit (COA) flagged similar bonuses—including a P15,000 incentive in 2023—because they lacked proper documentation or proof of employees' specific contributions.
“We want to do this the right way,” Archival stated, noting that the administration is prioritizing legal compliance to ensure the bonus is not disallowed later.
City officials expect to have a clearer figure for the bonus by next week after finishing their consultations.
Cebu City celebrates its Charter Day every February 24, a special non-working holiday that marks the city’s founding in 1937. Apart from the bonus, the city has planned wreath-laying ceremonies and cultural events to honor the milestone.