The proposed budget was to be taken from savings of the city government this year, according to Councilor Bob Roberto Casanova, who chairs the city council committee on finance, accounts, and appropriations.

The budget included P40,000 each for 378 elective and appointive officials and regular employees for a total of P15.12 million. Each of the city's 1,200 "job order employees" also received P20,000 each for a total of P24 million.

The city government also allotted P30,000 each for heads of offices and P10,000 each for rank and file employees of national government agencies operating in the city such as the Philippine National Police and the Bureau of Fire Protection.

The city also released a total of P13.575 million to barangay officials and other community workers and P5.63 million for teachers and others.

Each of the city's 46 barangay chairs received P15,000 each while barangay kagawads (village councilmen), barangays treasurers, secretaries, and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) chairpersons, received P10,000 each.

Barangay health workers (BHWs), including hilots, barangay nutrition scholars, members of the Civilian Volunteers Organization, and day care workers also received P5,000 each.

About 1,040 teachers working in the city's elementary and high schools were also given P5,000 each as is the tradition for a total of P5.2 million. The budget also included P10,000 each for the three schools district supervisors and P5,000 each for 80 persons working in special bodies.

Casanova presented the proposed budget noting movements in allocations compared to last year's figures.

He said elective and appointive officials and regular employees received P50,000 each and job order employees received P25,000 last year.

Last year, heads of offices of national agencies received P20,000 now increased by P10,000. Last year barangay chairs received P10,000, now raised by P5,000 while other barangay officials received P7,000, now raised by P3,000. The other community workers received P3,000 last year, now raised by P2,000.

City Councilor Jimmy Gellor questioned the inconsistency, saying "this seems to be unfair." He said the regular and job order employees expected a raise, not a cut on the bonuses.

"This is giving low morale to the very people who are running the city," he said, adding, "We have to empathize with the poor employees"

Casanova said it is up to the mayor if he would release additional bonus since the city council has already appropriated earlier an P18-million fund for Christmas bonus outside of that taken from savings. (Walter I. Balane / MindaNews)

---

Share this story through the following Social Media sites: