JULY 16, 2023: A glimpse at the facade of the Cebu City Hall. CDN Digital photo | Brian J. Ochoa
CEBU CITY, Philippines – The much-anticipated Christmas bonus for Cebu City government employees, worth P20,000 each, will be distributed today, December 22.
This announcement was confirmed by Cebu City Vice Mayor Alvin Garcia and Lawyer Collin Rosell, the city administrator, in a phone interview with CDN Digital on Friday, December 22.
READ: Cebu City Hall employees to receive P35,000 Christmas bonus
“Na announce na ni Mayor gahapon sa gabie nga karon na siya [bonus] ma-release. Tanang employees ma-release-san today, mao iya gi announce,” stated Rosell, echoing the Vice Mayor’s sentiments.
Previously, the Cebu City Council approved a revised bonus structure for both casual and regular employees.
Initially, P35,000 was supposed to be given but was adjusted by the Cebu Council to P20,000.
Cebu City Councilor Noel Wenceslao, the chairman of the committee on budget and finance, mentioned that the city council reached a consensus to align the bonus amount with President Marcos’s pronouncement of granting a P20,000-peso incentive to government employees.
READ: Cebu City Council OKs cut in promised P35,000 bonus to P20,000 for gov’t workers
“It was a consensus sa councilors. It’s because giparihas na lang [namo] sa pronouncement ni BBM sa national: 20,000 (pesos) for the casual and regular [employees] and 5,000 (pesos) for the job order [employees]. Giparihas namo,” Wenceslao said.
However, during the city’s flag-raising ceremony on Monday, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama expressed his disbelief after learning that the promised P35,000 Christmas bonus was slashed to P20,000.
READ: Rama in disbelief after council cuts promised P35,000 Christmas bonus
He stated, “Kumpleto ba inyong pagkamalipayon? Sigurado mo? Nga inyong bonus wa ko kasabot nganong naingon ana. This is an important gathering because I feel sad. [The] P35,000 did not come from me.”
The revised Christmas bonus structure was approved during the council’s regular session last December 13.
READ: DBM: P69.4B out for gov’t workers’ year-end bonus, cash gift