- CHERYL G. CRUZ
The Sangguniang Panlungsod of Bacolod approved this afternoon, Nov. 29, an appropriation ordinance allocating P40.5 million for the grant of the Collective Negotiation Agreement (CNA) incentive for city government employees.
Councilor Jude Thaddeus Sayson, chairperson of the SP Committee on Appropriation and Finance, said each regular and plantilla casual employee will get P30,000 in CNA incentive, pursuant to Budget Circular 2023-1, or the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) guidelines on the grant of CNAI this 2023.
The P40.5 million appropriation will be sourced from several Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses accounts, including savings from local and foreign travel expenses, office supplies, and oil and lubricants, among others, per certification issued by City Treasurer Arlene Memoria, City Budget Officer Ma. Imelda Williams, and acting city accountant Jeremae Ann Ceriaco-Florentino.
Williams, in a press briefing Nov. 28 at the City Mayor’s Office, said the CNAI this year is higher, since the city employees received P25,000 in CNAI in 2022.
Mayor Alfredo Benitez said P30,000 is the maximum CNAI that can be granted to a city employee.
Benitez said the city government is guided by the guidelines of the DBM in granting bonuses to qualified employees.
As per the DBM circular, this one-time benefit shall be granted not earlier than Dec. 15 but not later than Dec. 31, 2023.
Williams, meanwhile, said they are still awaiting the guidelines for the release of gratuity pay for job order employees./CGC
