The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has released more than P63.695 billion for the mid-year bonuses of qualified government employees, including all uniformed personnel, across the country.
The DBM said it started distributing the funds throughout the country on Thursday.
DBM Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said in a news release P47.587 billion has been set aside for the midyear bonus of civilian personnel, while P16.108 billion has been allocated to midyear bonuses of the military and other uniformed personnel.
Pangandaman said the approved midyear bonuses were equivalent to a one-month basic salary of an employee.
“Good news from President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. Starting today, May 15, qualified government workers will start receiving their midyear bonus, which is equivalent to their one month basic pay,” she said in Filipino.
She said the president intended the timely and immediate release of the midyear bonus as an incentive to government workers in recognition of their sacrifices and services to the Filipinos.
The midyear bonus, which is mandated under the DBM Budget Circular No. 2017-2 that was released on May 8, 2017, is part of the government’s regular compensation package for qualified personnel.
Those eligible to receive the bonus are employees who have rendered at least four months of service from July 1 of the preceding year up to May 15 of the current year; are currently employed by the government as of May 15; have received at least a satisfactory performance rating in the most recent applicable performance evaluation period.
The grant of midyear bonuses has been ordered to apply to all positions for civilian personnel – whether regular, casual, or contractual, appointive or elective, full-time or part-time- in the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches, the Constitutional Commissions and other Constitutional Offices, State Universities and Colleges, and Government-Owned or -Controlled Corporations covered by the Compensation and Position Classification System, and in local government units.
It also applies to the military personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines under the Department of National Defense, and uniformed personnel of the Philippine National Police, Philippine Public Safety College, Bureau of Fire Protection, and Bureau of Jail Management and Penology of the Department of Interior and Local Government, Philippine Coast Guard of the Department of Transportation, and National Mapping and Resource Information Authority of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
Under the DBM Circular, personnel hired on part-time service in one or more agencies are entitled to a bonus that is in direct proportion to the number of hours or days of services they rendered while employees who have transferred from one agency to another shall get their bonus from the new agency.
The circular also read that employees with pending administrative or criminal cases are entitled to a mid-year bonus unless they are found guilty by final and executory judgment.
Those found guilty shall not be entitled to a bonus and must return the bonus received in the year the decision becomes final.
Those whose penalty is a reprimand, however, are still entitled to a mid-year bonus.
The DBM said for employees of GOCCs, their mid-year bonus shall be determined by their respective governing boards and the amount shall be subject to the availability of funds.
For employees of local government units, the granting of the mid-year bonus will depend on the decision of their respective local councils or sanggunian and will also be subject to the availability of funds.
