Provincial government employees are shown performing a dance number during the annual anniversary celebration of the province. (CDN PHOTO/ LITO TECSON)
Capitol employees cheered when Acting Gov. Agnes Magpale announced a cash bonus of P15,000 per worker during yesterday’s celebration of Cebu’s 446th founding anniversary.
Magpale confirmed the bonus at the Capitol Social Hall, where employees had Mass, lunch and a ballroom dance-themed competition in the afternoon.
“You aren’t in a hurry, are you?” she asked Capitol employees in her anniversary speech.
A total of 1,553 regular and casual employees as of Dec. 31, 2014 and elected officials are set to receive P15,000 each.
The amount, part of the employees’ collective negotiation agreement (CNA), is slightly lower than last year’s since a P3,000 “anniversary cash bonus” was added on top of the incentive in 2014.
The “anniversary bonus” will be given again in 2019 or in a milestone year.
Gov. Hilario Davide III missed the celebration because he is in Japan on official business looking for investment opportunities.
The Social Hall was noticeably bare other than the floral decorations on stage, the colorful lights illuminating the venue and the sea of people inside.
The Capitol had a festive atmosphere yesterday with a number of employees wearing dance costumes for the competition. Seven teams from the executive and legislative departments took turns performing on stage.
Challenges
In the morning, Msgr. Ruben Labajo celebrated Mass. Employees then assembled in their offices for a simple “salo-salo (get together) lunch.
On Aug. 7, 1569, Spain’s King Philip II appointed Miguel Lopez de Legaspi as governor of Cebu.
Republic Act 8952 declares August 6 as a special non-working holiday for Cebu province and the highly urbanized cities of Cebu and Lapu-Lapu.
During her anniversary speech, Magpale recalled how the Davide administration faced many challenges in its first few years.
She recalled the ship collision off Lauis Ledge in 2013 which caused a major oil spill in Cordova town, the 7.2-magnitude earthquake that rocked Bohol and Cebu, supertyphoon Yolanda later in the same year, and Typhoon Seniang last year.
Hall of fame
“But after everything, our government was able to stand up again. I thought, and everybody thinks, that we did well in spite of all these calamities,” Magpale said.
Magpale thanked on Davide’s behalf the Provincial Board (PB) and department heads for their support.
A weeklong agri-trade fair was held at the Capitol grounds with vegetables, fruits and other agricultural products from different towns in Cebu.
The best booths were recognized during the anniversary program.
Santander town received the Hall of Fame award for winning Best Booth for several consecutive years.
Dalaguete, the vegetable basket of the province, won Best Booth and a cash prize of P20,000, followed by Ronda (P17,000) and City of Naga (P15,000).
This year’s ballroom dance champions are the employees from the legislative department, who won P30,000.
In second place is the Service Planners, composed of the environment, general services, and planning offices followed at third place by the Builders of the Provincial Engineering Office.