The Negros Occidental provincial government will give its 600 plus job order workers P3,000 each in gratuity pay, Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said today, December 29.
However, the provincial government can only give P1,700 in Service Recognition Incentive (SRI) to each of its more than 3,000 regular employees, he added.
President Rodrigo Duterte in separate orders allowed the granting of the P3,000 Gratuity Pay to JO workers and P10,000 SRI to regular employees of the government.
If the provincial government grants the P10,000 SRI to each of its more than 3,000 employees it will exceed the salary cap set under the Local Government Code by P27 million, which will be in violation of the law, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said earlier.
It can only spend P5,233,154 more for the SRI to avoid exceeding the cap, that would be about P1,700 for each employee, he added.
Lacson said he asked if the SRI can be exempted from the salary cap and was told that it is not possible.
“Because of that we cannot give the whole P10,000,” he said, adding that they will most likely grant P1,700 instead.
Lacson said he hopes the provincial government employees are not offended that they will not receive the entire P10,000, but at least they will not be given the problem of having to return the amount that exceeded the salary cap.
The P3,000 for the job order casuals is not covered by the salary cap, he added.*