CHRISTMAS will be merrier for employees of the Cebu provincial government after Gov. Hilario Davide III yesterday announced that each employee would receive a P20,000 bonus and 25-kilo sack of rice.
The amount is smaller than last year鈥檚 bonus of P30,000 in light of recent calamities like supertyphoon Yolanda and the Capitol鈥檚 fiscal status.
鈥淲e decided on the amount based on our funds and in the spirit of solidarity due to the recent tragedy,鈥� Davide told reporters.
鈥淚f we make it bigger, other people might say that we have a lot of money here which is not the case. If it鈥檚 too small, then others would say that Capitol is too thrifty.鈥�
鈥淚 think P20,000 is fair and reasonable,鈥� Davide said.
The bonus will benefit 1,564 regular, co-terminous and casual employees but not outsourced personnel who are mostly assigned in Cebu鈥檚 district and provincial hospitals.
A P31.28 million supplemental budget for the bonus will be approved in the next Provincial Board session on Monday.
This means a savings of P20 million from Capitol coffers compared to the P51 million spent for last year鈥檚 Christmas bonus.
By next week, the bonus will be released to Capitol employees as productivity incentives, the 鈥渞eward of their labor throughout the year鈥� said Davide.
Yesterday鈥檚 annual Christmas party was toned down with a Mass and announcement but no more raffle, program or song-and-dance contests.
Employes went back to their offices for a simple 鈥渟alo salo鈥� as the budget for the Christmas party was spent to buy food, candy and clothes for children and elderly victims in typhoon-hit areas./Correspondent Peter L. Romanillos