Cash incentives for city residents proposed

The City Council, during last Monday’s regular session, approved on first reading a proposed ordinance providing cash incentives for residents who bring honor and pride to the city for winning in regional, national or international competitions in the fields of academics, music and culture and arts.

Under the proposed ordinance, all residents who win in any prestigious competition in the regional, national or international level in the fields of academics, music and culture and arts shall be covered by the pertinent provisions of the measure.

Further, the recipients of the prescribed cash incentives shall be an individual or a group who attend the said competitions as official delegates as the competition may require.

The ordinance stated that the incentives must be claimed or granted within a year from the date of their winning in the said competitions.

Aside from the winning competitors, the respective coaches or trainers will also be entitled to the corresponding cash incentives as they are an essential part of the success and winning of the residents.

Individual or group members must meet the prescribed requirements such as acquired a new title or successfully defended his or her current title and won gold, silver or bronze in any prestigious competitions in the regional, national or international level in the fields of academics, music and culture and arts; submit original certificate of award as proof of winning the competition; submit a recommendation letter from the respective office concerned; certified true copy of birth certificate; certificate from the barangay stating the period of actual residency of the contestant-recipient and if the contestant-recipient is a minor, Comelec voter’s certification of at least one of his or her parents and in justifiable cases of his or her guardian. For those 18 years old and above, their own voter’s certification, unless non-registration due to compelling circumstances.

The prescribed schedule of incentives for the corresponding meal or title shall be regional level or its equivalent – gold – PhP5,000 for individual and PhP3,000 per member for group, silver – PhP3,000 for individual and PhP2,000 per member for group, and bronze – PhP2,000 for individual and PhP1,000 per member for group; national competition and its equivalent – gold – PhP10,000 for individual and PhP4,000 per member for group, silver – PhP5,000 for individual and PhP3,000 per member of group and bronze – PhP3,000 for individual and PhP2,000 per member of group and international competition and its equivalent – PhP30,000 for gold individual and PhP10,000 per member of group, silver – PhP20,000 for individual and PhP7,000 per member of group and bronze – PhP10,000 for individual and PhP5,000 per member of group.

For the coaches or trainers, the schedules of incentives are regional competition and its equivalent – PhP3,000  per individual, silver – PhP2,000 per individual and bronze – PhP1,000 per individual; national competition and its equivalent – gold – PhP4,000 per individual, silver – PhP3,000 per individual and bronze – PhP2,000 per individual and international competition and its equivalent – gold – PhP10,000 per individual, silver – PhP7,000 per individual and bronze – PhP5,000 per individual.

The ordinance stipulated that the city council, through an approved resolution, may authorize the City Mayor and other city officials to give additional cash incentives on top of what had been earlier provided in the proposed measure, provided that the same is within the limit as prescribed by pertinent laws.  By Dexter A. See