BAGUIO CITY (Dec. 15) — All government employees, including those working for national government agencies (NGAs) will get cash incentives based on the Program on Awards and Incentives for Service Excellence (PRAISE), the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) clarified in a letter to Baguio City Mayor Braulio Yaranon on December 12.

Yaranon earlier asked the DBM-Cordillera if the grant to national employees does not conflict with any pertinent law and regulation. The confusion came from the information that NGAs are also giving cash incentives to their staff.

Cash incentives equivalent to one-and-a-half month salary and P20 thousand for each city official and employee was authorized by council resolution No. 283-05 and was implemented under Administrative Order No. 186.

In her letter to Yaranon, Dir. Liza B. Fangsilat of the DBM-Cordillera reassured the mayor that the cash incentives are allowed under the Local Government Code and the local budget circular No. 62 as amended. However, the granting of such incentives to national government agency employees is not in the approved PRAISE of the city.

Fangsilat said that as a performance incentive, it appears that it is not in consonance with the standards and criteria set in the approved PRAISE of the city.

The DBM also said that the grant is not mandatory on the part of the LGU, which must have fully implemented the devolution functions and that the delivery of basic services and functions are not jeopardized . In addition, the incentives does not exceed the representation and transportation allowance of department heads of the LGU concerned.

City-paid officials and employees have received their cash incentives in November. NGA-paid employees have also been granted yearly incentives in the past. # Lyn V. Ramo for NORDIS