BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The 3,400-strong provincial government employees of Negros Occidental are getting salary increases starting January next year, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said.
Diaz has confirmed that the budget for salary increases has already been incorporated in the proposed 2021 provincial budget for next year, which is now being deliberated on by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Negros Occidental.
The proposed budget for next year of the province is P4.4 billion.
Diaz also announced earlier that the provincial government is ready to give an additional bonus to Capitol employees, if there is an order from President Rodrigo Duterte, adding that the province has preparations for it.
“This only shows that Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson is really pro-employee,” he stressed.
The 14th month pay of Capitol employees reportedly up for distribution this week, on top of 13th month pay they received May this year.
Last year, Capitol employees received as much as P60,000 in extra bonus, after the provincial government of Negros Occidental received numerous awards from the Department of Interior and Local Government, for excellence in governance, among other categories.
Diaz said that Capitol employees with Salary Grades 15 to 20 are benefitted mostly in the implementation of the first tranche of the Salary Standardization Law. However, he stressed, that all Capitol employees will have increases in their salaries.
As to the giving of Collective Negotiation Agreement (CNA) bonus, Diaz said he is not optimistic about it. Should there be one, it will not be substantial, he added.*GPB
