MANILA, Philippines -- Government workers will get around P10,000 productivity bonus for the holidays, Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya said Thursday.
Andaya said P10,000 was "more or less assured" for permanent, temporary, contractual, and casual employees, who have served for at least four months.
The national government will shoulder P7,000 while P3,000 will come from the government agency's savings, Andaya said in a speech before state workers at the Palace.
"I have been authorized by the President [Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo] to end all, water cooler chismis [gossip], lunchtime talk , powder room chitchats, evening novenas on what will be this year's year-end productivity bonus," he said.
"You can now tell your inaanaks [godchildren] and neighborhood creditors that it could be up to P10,000, [with] P7,000 to be shouldered by the national government, which is guaranteed, and P3,000 will come from agency savings," he said.
Other details on who will qualify for the bonus will be spelled out in an upcoming executive order, he said.