Midyear bonus for gov’t workers is 14-month pay
GOVERNMENT employees will begin receiving today their midyear bonuses consisting of one month’s salary. All told, government agencies and units will have to shell out a total of P31 billion to their workers.
In a statement Sunday, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said it had issued to all government agencies the special allotment release orders and notices of cash allocation allowing them to release the 14th-month pay of their personnel.
Executive Order No. 201 signed by President Aquino in February mandates the grant of a midyear bonus or 14th-month pay equivalent to one month’s salary to government employees who fit a criteria.
Previously, government workers received a yearend bonus or 13th-month pay in two tranches—the first in May ahead of the opening of classes and the second in November before Christmas.
According to the DBM, those eligible to receive the 14th-month pay are employees who rendered a minimum of four months’ service between July last year and May 15 this year, who obtained a performance rating of “satisfactory” or better, and who were still working for the government on May 15.
“For employees who rendered at least four months of service but did not receive a performance rating from their agencies, the DBM urged the agencies to conduct performance evaluations of their personnel so they could be granted the midyear bonus,” it said.
Memorandum Circular No. 6 orders all government agencies to conduct a performance evaluation twice a year following guidelines prescribed by the Civil Service Commission.
In the case of government-owned and -controlled corporations or GOCCs, their respective governing boards “shall determine the grant of a bonus charged against approved corporate operating budgets,” such that “if funds are insufficient, they may grant a bonus at a lower rate but at a uniform percentage of the basic monthly salary as of May 15, the DBM said.
