Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said on Monday, Oct. 28, that the Negros Occidental provincial government is ready to release the yearend bonus and cash gifts of its employees as soon it gets the green light.
The provincial government has the funds for that and can release it, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz also said.
Those are existing bonuses that were authorized to be released earlier than in previous years, Diaz said.
Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah Pangandaman on Oct. 22 issued Budget Circular 2024-3, which facilitates the early release of the year-end bonus and cash gift of government workers.
The amendment grants the release of the year-end bonus of government employees equivalent to one month basic pay as of Oct. 31 and a cash gift of P5,000 “simultaneously with the first agency payroll for the month of November of the current year” subject to conditions.
The new budget circular was issued following the observation that “government personnel continue to experience delays in receiving bonuses and cash gifts, affecting their morale, motivation, and level of job satisfaction”, Pangandaman said.*