Cebu City Hall workers told: No bonus unless all vaxxed against COVID-19

Cebu City Hall

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City government on Monday, November 8, announced that they would be releasing Christmas bonuses to all employees under one condition.

All of them must get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Acting City Mayor Michael Rama made this pronouncement during a brief speech after City Hall’s flag ceremony on Monday, and reiterated it in his regular press conference.

Rama said such a move would help boost the city’s COVID-19 vaccination coverage rate which remained below 70 percent as of November 8. 

“Bonus will be granted for all, since it’s ought to be for all. But as I’ve said this morning — no release of bonus unless all have been fully vaccinated. Dapat tanan (City Hall workers) mabakunahan  (All should be vaccinated) because we should be setting a good example, being government employees,” Rama told reporters.

Christmas bonuses are usually financial incentives granted to employees, both in the public and private sectors, during the holiday season.

In Cebu City, Rama said the city government had the discretion whether or not they would be providing such cash incentives.

“Kana sya nga (that) bonus, of course, that is something (of a) prerogative on the part of the city government,” said Rama.

Councilor Joel Garganera, head of the city’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC), welcomed Rama’s decision. 

Garganera said it would only be appropriate for the city to urge its own workforce to get vaccinated. 

“We have to remember ang City Government of Cebu is the first LGU (local government unit) nga nag-ingon nga wala mo ma fully vaccinated dili mo makasulod og mga restaurants and bars,” he said.

(We have to remember that the city government of Cebu is the firts LGU (local government unit) to say that if you are not fully vaccinated then you cannot enter restaurants and bars.)

“So with, that unsa may atong moral ascendancy if ang atong mga trabahante, mga empleyado nato sa city government mismo nga dili bakunado in the same ang kaning mga restaurants and bars they are required nga ang ilang mga employees, staff katong ilahang mga service crew they should be vaccinated,” said Garganera. 

(So with that, what will be our moral ascendancy if our workers, our employees in the city government are not vaccinated as it is the sam as our restaurants adn bars where they require their employees and staff, their service crew, that they should be vaccinated.)

Based on the latest data from the city government, only a total of 297,101 individuals here have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of November 8. 

The city is targeting to inoculate at least 700,000 or 70 percent of its population of over 900,000.

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