Capitol to give cash gifts for barangay workers

More than 25,000 barangay workers in Cebu province will receive a Christmas bonus from the Capitol this year.

Gov. Hilario DAvide III said that while the Commission on Audit (COA) disallowed the disbursement in 2012 for having  doubtful egal basis, he said the Capitol would release the productivity incentive by January next year.

He said COA has not yet replied to the Capitol’s appeal on the notice of disallowance and order to refund  cash gifts totaling P46.8 million in 2012.

“Just the same, we are giving productivity incentives to our barangay health workers, barangay tanods, those in the frontline,” Davide said.

Capitol will release the same amount as last year.

Barangay tanods and barangay  health aides  will get P1,500 each while barangay health workers will get P2,400. The same amount  will be given to barangay’s scholars and daycare workers.

In a September 6  audit observation memorandum,  state auditors said  the honorarium of barangay workers “may not have legal basis.”

COA said  the payout may result in “irregular expenditures of government funds.”

Those who received cash incentives in December last year were 14,459 barangay tanods, 531  health aides, 7,772 health workers, 769 nutrition scholars and 1,543 daycare workers.

Cebu Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale earlier defended the cash gift, saying the honoraria was a one-time payment and  not included in the prohibition of giving monthly honoraria to barangay workers.

Meanwhile, Capitol employees already received their P20,000 Christmas bonus yesterday.

The Cebu Provincial Board  approved a P31.28 million supplemental budget for the purpose last Monday.

The bonus was smaller than last year’s P30,000 bonus.But more than 1,500 employees will also bring home a 25-kilo sack of rice for the holidays. /Peter L. Romanillos, Correspondent