“It is a massive disservice to our hardworking frontline government workers to delay granting of their midyear bonuses,” said COURAGE Secretary General Manuel Baclagon.
He said no excuse is acceptable to this delay especially when the notices of cash allocations for the midyear bonus were already approved by the Department of Budget and Management last March and allocated to agencies last April.
“But what happened? We demand government agencies to fast-track the process and give the midyear bonuses during this crucial time,” said Baclagon.
According to Republic Act 11466 or the Salary Standardization Law of 2019 signed in January this year, the midyear bonus may already be released by May 15.
The midyear bonus is equivalent to one month basic salary who have rendered at least four months of satisfactory service and are currently in service in the same service.
Agencies such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said that the granting of the midyear bonus will be delayed. They cited that this is because the department does not yet have the required individual performance ratings that is one of the three conditions needed to be satisfied in order to grant their bonus.
DSWD has around 12,000 regular and casual workers, including its appointed officials, according to COURAGE. Meanwhile, around 13,000 contract of service workers are not included among those who will receive the bonus.
According to Republic Act 11466 or the Salary Standardization Law of 2019 signed in January this year, the midyear bonus may already be released by May 15.
The midyear bonus is equivalent to one month basic salary who have rendered at least four months of satisfactory service and are currently in service in the same service.
This shall cover government personnel whether regular, contractual or casual, appointive or elective, full time or part time, but excluding military personnel and GOCC employees that follow their own salary schedule. Also excluded are those in consultancy capacity, job orders, contract of services, and laborers paid at piece rate.
The new salary schedule for 2020 was implemented this January indicated P 11,551 for salary grade 1 step 1 and P313,512 for salary grade 33 (the highest is 33, assigned only to the president). The law for raised salaries did not include the President, Vice President and members of Congress, whose adjustments in salaries shall only take effect after the expiration of the respective terms of the present incumbents
On March 16, President Rodrigo Duterte called on private companies to release their employees’ 13th month pay earlier, usually expected at around June, amid the lockdown the government imposed from March 15 up to the present in varying strict lockdown enforcement.
This call led many to believe and push, legislators included, that government should release to midyear bonus early as well, or on the dot on May 15 if possible.
