Personnel of the city government of Baguio were granted through Ordinance 78, s. 2022 their service recognition incentive (SRI) last Christmas.
The ordinance complies with Administrative Order 1, s. 2022 dated Dec. 16, 2022 by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. which authorizes such grant to all government employees for this year.
Section 6 of the order provides the one-time SRI to employees in local government units shall be determined by their respective sanggunians depending on their financial capability, subject to the personal services limitation in LGU budgets under the Local Government Code of 1991 at a uniform rate not exceeding P20,000, chargeable against their 2022 budgets, and if the funding source is insufficient to cover the full amount of the SRI, a lower but uniform amount shall be paid.
The order advises the sanggunians to exercise prudence and judicious use of government funds in determining the amount of the SRI, and to ensure the expenditure is reasonable and will not, in any way, prejudice the delivery of services to the public.
The grant of the SRI covers all personnel occupying regular, contractual, or casual positions who are still in the government service as of Nov. 30, 2022 and have rendered at least four months of service as of Nov, 30, 2022.
Employees who have rendered less than four months of service as of Nov. 30, 2022 shall be entitled to a pro-rated share or 40 percent for three months but less than four months of service; 30 percent for two months but less than three months of service; 20 percent for one month but less than two months; and 10 percent for less than one month.
The ordinance provides the grant is just and timely as employees have not received any additional year-end benefit over and above the benefit authorized under Republic Act 6686, as amended by RA 8441, which increases the said cash gift to P5,000.
Another basis of the grant is Section 4(h) of Congressional Joint Resolution 4, s. 2009, which authorizes the grant of incentives to reward an employee’s loyalty to government service and contribution to the agency’s continuing viable existence; incentives as rewards for exceeding agency financial and operational performance targets to motivate employee efforts toward higher productivity; and other benefits to be categorized by the Department of Budget and Management as incentives.
Through Ordinance 80, s. 2022, an additional grant of one-time rice assistance of 25 kilograms each will be given to city officials and employees, provided they shall still be in the government service and/or engaged by the city government as of Nov. 30, 2022.
In Resolution 644, s. 2022, the city council granted amnesty to applicants for water supply connections of long-time residents inside watersheds in the city, such as the Buyog watershed in Pinget barangay,
The action conforms with the commitment of the government under international and national laws for the respect and promotion of basic human needs to clean water for their survival, sanitation and hygiene, and prevention of other problems related for the lack of access to clean water.
The Baguio Water District said the list of pending or deferred water connection applications are from 2013 to November 2022.
The resolution stated the right of every citizen to free access to clean water must be respected and given importance than other policies without necessarily condoning their acts in occupying the watershed.
Through Resolution 645, s. 2022, the council instructed the Local Finance Committee to provide the guidelines and procedures on the lease of city-owned properties for its perusal for the introduction of amendments if necessary.
The resolution wants to check on the provisions of the guidelines as there are concessionaires in various city parks which reportedly entered into agreements or contracts with the executive but did not get the approval of the city council.
Further, the city council has asked the Baguio Tourism Council and the City Environment and Parks Management Office to submit copies of the said contracts for its study and recommendation.
In separate resolutions, the city council gave favorable review of the supplemental and annual budgets for fiscal years 2022 and 2023 of barangays: New Lucban – P4,835,004; Middle Rock Quarry – P3,888,898; Upper Dagsian – P2,799,796; Honeymoon-Holy-ghost – P5,752,078; Middle Quezon Hill – P5,389,504; San Antonio Village – P3,141,096; Hillside – P3,309,814; Cresencia Village – P3,483,835; Marcoville – P150,000; Pinsao Proper – P2,503,535; and Middle Quirino Hill – P449,760.58
Also granted with favorable review are the Sangguniang Kabataan supplemental/annual budgets for 2022 of Middle Quirino Hill – P520,000; Session-Governor Pack Road – P845,542; Harrison-Carantes-Claudio – P229,300; Sto. Niño Slaughter – P606,500; Padre Burgos – P559,827; Dominican-Mirador – P740,284; Pinget – P1,057,222; and South Central Aurora Hill – P325,328.
A happy and prosperous New Year to all!
