Benguet university employees won’t get performance bonuses

BAGUIO CITY—Employees of Benguet State University (BSU) have been disqualified from receiving their performance-based bonuses (PBB) for 2014 after the university failed to post its complete financial transactions on its website, according to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

All 720 BSU employees lost this privilege because the university failed to satisfy this requirement imposed by the DBM on transparency in the use of government funds.

An interagency task force (IATF) evaluation showed that BSU only “partially complied with the transparency seal.”

The university was also disqualified from receiving its PBB last year. In 2012, BSU employees each received P7,000 representing their performance bonus.

Darlyn Tagarino, president of the BSU faculty club association, said the employees were disappointed.

But the IATF had valid reasons for its evaluation, she said. “We need to live with it and the experience would make us better next time,” she said.

Dr. Percyveranda Lubrica, BSU vice president for academic affairs, confirmed that the university’s employees were disqualified from receiving their PBB.

Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, in a September letter to BSU officials, reminded them to publish the university’s major final outputs’ accountability report card and its management accountability report card on the BSU website.

These are requirements enforced by the DBM, through Administrative Order No. 25 (series of 2011), which formed the IATF to oversee the performance of national government agencies, including state colleges and universities.

The directive also requires government institutions to obtain a transparency seal, liquidate all cash advances, post all financial transactions and other documents to prove they follow the rules on good governance.

Dr. Estrelita Daclan, BSU vice president for administration and finance, said they failed to put in their report a column showing budgets for their target accomplishments.

In Isabela province, the provincial government on Wednesday released at least P60 million in performance bonuses to government workers.

Gov. Faustino Dy III said each regular provincial government employee received P25,000 in cash gifts and P6,000 in rice allowance, while each contractual worker received P10,000. Kimberlie Quitasol with a report from Villamor Visaya Jr., Inquirer Northern Luzon