BAGUIO CITY – The City Council approved on first reading a proposed ordinance granting service recognition incentive to qualified officials and employees of the city government for this year.
The ordinance authored by all members of the city legislative body states there shall be a one-time service recognition incentive to employees and officials of the city government at a uniform rate not exceeding P10,000 chargeable against the salary savings of the city and subject to the conditions as provided in Administrative Order No. 19, series of 2019.
Under the proposed ordinance, the grant of the service recognition incentive shall be subject to the fact that the personnel are occupying regular, contractual or casual positions; the personnel are still in the government service as of November 30, 2019; the personnel have rendered at least 4 months of service as of November 30, 2019 and employees who have rendered less than 4 months of servicer as of November 30, 2019 shall be entitled to a pro-rated share of the service recognition incentive, 3 months but less than 4 months – 40 percent, 2 months but less than 3 months – 30 percent, 1 month but less than 20 months – 20 percent and less than 1 month – 10 percent; and that the employees have not received any additional year-end benefit this year over and above the benefit authorized under the pertinent provisions of Republic Act (RA) No. 6686, as amended by RA No. 8441.
The ordinance stipulates that as provided under the aforesaid Administrative Order, those engaged without an employer-employee relationship and whose compensation are not funded from personnel services appropriations are excluded from the grant of the service recognition incentive such as consultations and experts engaged for a limited period to perform specific activities or services with expected outputs, laborers engaged through job contract and those paid on piece work basis; student workers and apprentices and individuals or groups of people whose services are engaged through job order, contracts of service or other similarly situated personnel.
The ordinance discloses that the service recognition incentive shall be paid by the city government to all qualified officials and employees not earlier than December 20, 2019.
Earlier, President Rodrigo R. Duterte issued Administrative Order No. 19, series of 2019 authorizing the grant of service recognition incentive to government employees for this year.
Section 6 of the aforesaid order provided that for employees and officials in city government units, the grant of one-time service recognition incentive shall be determined by the city legislative body depending on the city government’s financial capability, subject to the personnel services limitation in LGU budgets under the pertinent provisions of Republic Act (RA) 7160 or the City government code of 1991 and the conditions set in Section 2 of the said order at a uniform rate not exceeding P10,000 chargeable against the 2019 city government funds.
Further, the city legislative body shall also exercise prudence and judicious use of government funds ensuring that the expenditure is reasonable and will not, in any way, adversely affect the delivery of services to the public.
Section 9 of the President’s order stipulates that the payment of the service recognition incentive to all qualified employees and officials shall not be earlier than December 20, 2019.
By Dexter A. See
Photo by: Armando Bolislis
