Qualified gov’t workers to get onetime incentive of up to P10K

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte has authorized the grant of up to P10,000 for qualified government workers, including the police and military, as a one-time service recognition incentive for their performance, especially during the pandemic.

“Government employees deserve to be rewarded for their collective and unceasing participation in and valuable contribution to the administration’s continuing efforts toward the establishment of streamlined government processes and more responsive delivery of public services, especially in the midst of the public health emergency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,” Duterte said in Administrative Order 37.

Civilian employees occupying regular, contractual, or casual positions are qualified for the bonus but they must still be in government service and should have rendered four months of satisfactory service as of Nov. 30.

Those who have worked for less than four months would still be entitled to a prorated share of the incentive.

Exempted from the onetime cash reward are consultants and experts engaged for a limited period to perform specific activities or services with expected outputs, laborers engaged through job contracts and those paid on a piecework basis, student workers and apprentices, and individuals or groups whose services are engaged through job orders or contracts of service.

According to the order, employees in the legislative and judicial branches and in other offices with fiscal autonomy may also be given the service recognition incentive by their respective heads although the amount must not exceed P10,000. INQ