Lapu-Lapu gov’t workers to get bonus for city’s 13 COVID free days

Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan announces the bonus of City Hall employees equivalent to a month’s salary during his Christmas message at the City Hall on December 11. | Screengrab from Mayor Chan’s FB page

MANDAUE CITY, Philippines — Lapu-Lapu City Hall employees will receive a Christmas bonus equivalent to a month’s salary.

Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan gave the good news during his Christmas message on the afternoon of December 11 at the city hall where he also announced the city being COVID-19 free for the past 13 days.

 Chan said that the bonus, however, would have to be approved by the City Council.

He called on the City Council to pass a supplemental budget for this purpose and hold a special session for this.

Read: No Christmas bonus for Lapu gov’t employees this year

Chan’s announcement was a reversal of his statement on December 3 where he said that the city government would not give Christmas bonus to government employees.

He then cited the scarcity of funds of the city government and the need to have equipment for the health and safety of the Oponganons amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

But on December 11, the mayor announced the bonus and the P5,000 performance enhancement incentives for City Hall employees.

The City Hall employees will also receive rice and ham.

Chan gave the good news to City Hall employees after he announced that the city had been COVID-19 free for the past 13 days.

“We had no new cases of COVID-19 yesterday (December 10) and this has been going on for the past 13 days,” Chan said in Cebuano.

He cited the efforts, support and cooperation of the Oponganons as one of the factors in the quick flattening of the COVID-19 curve by following health protocols.

Chan said he was proud of this victory against the virus and so everyone should be rewarded.

“Pahalipayan nato ang matag usa kanato para merry ang atong Christmas,” said Chan, who was happy about this development.

(Let us reward each and every one of us so that we can have a merry Christmas.)

“We deserve to reward ourselves for all the efforts and sacrifices we put in during the war against COVID. Manghatag kita og bonus para sa atong mga government employees (We will give a bonus to our government employees),” he said.

Chan said that regular and casual employees would receive a month’s salary as their Christmas bonus.

He also said that job order employees would also receive a bonus worth eight percent of their salary from January to October./dbs