Mandaue City hall. | CDN Digital file photo
MANDAUE CITY, Cebu – From the P15, 000 that they received last year, Mandaue City Hall employees will only be getting P3, 000 as Charter Day bonus this year.
Councilor Marie Immaline Cortes-Zafra, the chairperson of the Committee on Appropriations Budget and Finance of the Mandaue City Council, said the reduction was made in compliance with guidelines set by the Commission on Audit (COA).
She said that COA flagged the incentives that were released last year for ‘lack of basis.’
READ: Mandaue City employees to get Charter Day bonuses
With this, the city government had to make the necessary adjustments and reduce the bonuses that will be given out for its 55th Charter Day celebration on August 30 to avoid a disallowance.
“Mo follow lang gyud ta sa unsay gi-advise sa COA. At least naa tay madawat,” said Cortes-Zafra.
READ: Mandaue gov’t employees to get bonus on city’s Charter Day
Mandaue City now has a total of 900 regular and appointive employees who are set to receive P3, 000 each.
However, job order employees will continue to receive the P5, 000 incentive that they have been getting every Charter Day. The amount will be considered as an increase in their honorarium at P57 per day and will be computed for four months or from April to July.
On the other hand, the Clean and Green Personnel and Barangay Nutrition Health Workers will be given P2,400.
Insuficient basis
Cortes-Zafra said that COA called the attention of the city government in a recent seminar that was attended by the City Budget Officer due to the release of the P15, 000 cash incentive last year despite the lack basis.
“If and when atoa ra idisregard ang flagged sa COA sa atoa, mahitabo ani mag disallowance na sad unya, so atoa lang gipugngan nga dili nalang sad bug-at sa atoang mga empleyado. Madeduct-kan sad sila,” she said.
Based on COA’s 2023 Audit Observation Memorandum, the release of the Charter Day bonuses was not anchored on a pertinent issuance or regulation, which is contrary to COA Cirular no. 2012-003 that “defines irregular expenditures as those incurred without adhering to established rules, regulations, or policies and practices.”
The audit cited that city ordinance No. 16-2023-1822, that was used as basis for the release of the bonuses, lacked legal basis.
Moreover, Republic Act 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991 states that no elective or appointive officer or employee shall receive additional, double, or indirect compensation unless specifically authorized by law.
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM), through Local Budget Circular No. 65 that was issued on March 3, 1997, also provided guidelines on the grant of bonuses to government employees.
Section 4 of the circular states that anniversary bonuses shall only be granted during milestone years, which refers to the 15th anniversary and every fifth year thereafter and that bonuses should not exceed P3,000.
Mandaue City will celebrate its 55th Charter Day Anniversary on August 30.