Teachers hope for early release of Christmas bonus

MANILA, Philippines—While grateful for the bonus, the teachers’ group Teachers Dignity Coalition (TDC) said it hoped the government would deviate from tradition and release their P10,000 Christmas incentive on time this year.

TDC chair Benjo Basas said the teachers are counting on the timely release of the annual Christmas bonus, noting that the productivity enhancement incentive (PEI) was “traditionally delayed.”

“We expect this PEI to be released to our respective schools on time… We just hope that it will be given at least before the Christmas vacation,” Basas said.

“Most of the time, teachers receive their Christmas bonuses after Christmas or even after the New Year’s celebration, which practically defeats the purpose of this incentive,” he said.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) announced earlier that teachers and other government employees would receive a P10,000 Christmas bonus, a “presidential prerogative” that has been continued since the time of former President Fidel Ramos, the TDC said.

He noted that, unlike in previous years, the DBM would be sourcing the bonus from a single fund.  Previously, the government agencies used their savings to cover their share of bonuses of their personnel. This, he said, had resulted in disparity because some agencies did not have enough savings to fund the agencies’ P3,000 share of the bonus.