Delay of bonuses for public school teachers, LGUs a disgrace

EDITORIAL

The inexplicable delay in the release of Christmas bonuses to government workers particularly public school teachers and local government workers was a huge disgrace that should be immediately rectified by the Department of Budget and Management.

It has been noted that several public school teachers all over the country including Metro Manila have complained about the delay in their Christmas bonus with no less than the Department of Education confirming it while pinning the blame on the DBM.

PSLink, a federation of government unions headed by Annie Geron wrote the DBM three days before Christmas Eve to press for the release of the Christmas bonuses to all government employees including those employed by LGUs. The government should set the right example, she said. It cannot set a different standard for private companies while failing to honor on time its own obligations to its own employees

According to Jesus Galvan, assistant secretary for finance and administration of DepEd, the DBM was able to release the cash allocation for the P7,000 bonus to 11 regions out of the 16 DepEd regions. Meanwhile, rank-and-file local government workers particularly in far-flung regions are also complaining about the delay in their bonuses. In the Cordillera, teaches are complaining the P7,000 was indeed given but it was short of P3,000.

The Senate could look into the delay in the release of the productivity bonus of government employees, as part of its budget oversight function if the funds are indeed available. Public school teachers deserve an explanation from the DBM and DepEd.

According to an official of the DepEd, the DBM is still in the process of releasing the Special Allotment Release Order and the Notice of Cash Allocation for the grant of Productivity Enhancement Incentive or bonus. Release of the funds soonest would alleviate somehow the living conditions of affected government workers particularly the rank and file.