Productivity bonuses for ‘nice’ gov’t workers

INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Government employees who have been “nice” and not naughty this year are in line to receive some P7.5 billion in productivity enhancement incentives (PEI) beginning the middle of the month.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) on Dec. 2 issued Budget Circular 2014-3 laying down guidelines for the grant of PEIs to government employees this year.

Under the circular, qualified government workers shall receive a P5,000 PEI each starting on Dec. 15.

Eligible to receive PEIs are civilian government employees occupying regular, contractual or casual positions, whether appointive or elective, and rendering service either full- or part-time, military personnel and local government employees. They must have been in the government service as of Oct. 31.

A worker should have been in the government’s employ for at least four months of the year and rendered “satisfactory” service to receive the full amount.

Those who rendered less time would be entitled to a pro-rated PEI, as follows: 40 percent for those employed for three months but less than four; 30 percent for those who had worked two months but less than three; 20 percent for those employed one month to two months, and 10 percent for those who worked less than a month.

DBM data showed that as of Oct. 31, there were 1.5 million government employees qualified to receive PEIs.

The DBM will source the money for the PEI from the miscellaneous personnel benefits fund in this year’s national budget.

The PEI is part of the Performance-Based Incentive System (PBIS) for government personnel under Executive Order No. 80 issued in 2012.

Besides the across-the-board PEI, included in the PBIS is the performance-based bonus, “a top-up bonus to be given to personnel of bureaus or delivery units in accordance with their contributions to their department’s overall targets and commitments.”

Last month, the government began to release P16.04 billion in year-end bonuses and cash gifts to its civilian as well as military personnel.

Under Budget Circular 2010-1, all government workers must be given a year-end bonus or 13th-month pay equivalent to one month’s salary on top of a cash gift of P5,000.