• CHERYL G. CRUZ
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Tuesday declared Dec. 26 a special non-working day to give Filipinos more time to celebrate the holiday with their families and loved ones, a day after Christmas.
Marcos, in Proclamation 425, signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin Dec. 12, added that “a longer weekend will also promote domestic tourism” and “will encourage families to get together and strengthen their relationship, leading to a better society”.
As Christmas Day, which is observed as a regular holiday throughout the country falls on a Monday, the declaration of an additional special non-working day will give the people the full opportunity to celebrate the holiday, he added.
The Department of Labor and Employment is directed to issue the appropriate circular to implement this proclamation for the private sector, Marcos said.
The President also signed administrative orders, granting service recognition incentive (SRI) to regular and casual employees, and gratuity pay to contract of service (COS) and job order (JO) workers in government this year.
In Administrative Order (AO) 12, signed by Bersamin Dec. 7 and made public Dec. 12, Marcos authorizes the grant of a one-time SRI of P20,000 for government employees, including civilian personnel in national government agencies, state universities and colleges, and government-owned or controlled corporations occupying regular, contractual or casual positions, the Presential Communications Office said.
Personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, Bureau of Corrections, Philippine Coast Guard, and of the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources are also qualified to receive the SRI, not earlier than Dec. 15.
AO 13, on the other hand, provides a one-time gratuity pay of not more than P5,000 each for COS and JO government employees, who have rendered at least four months of actual satisfactory performance of service, as stipulated in their respective contracts, as of Dec. 15, and whose contracts are still effective, as of said date, the PCO said, adding the gratuity pay should be given not earlier than Dec. 15. | CGC
