HAPPINESS INSPIRES productivity especially if the rights and benefits of the workforce are duly recognized and well-compensated. One of the best practices of the Lazatin administration is the commitment to provide financial security for the city hall employees. In fact, all permanent, casual and some contractual Angeles City hall employees received additional cash incentives last December in addition of the year-end bonus released earlier.
Mayor Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin, Jr. said that the P15,000 additional cash incentives is composed of P5,000 Collective Negotiation Agreement (CNA), P5,000 Productivity Enhancement Incentive and P5,000 Service Recognition Incentive (SRI). Lazatin is cognizant of their hard work throughout the year, especially during the lockdown, and in order to provide them financial security, and still celebrate Christmas with their families amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mayor Lazatin, Chief tactician and adviser IC Calaguas and Executive Assistant IV Reina Manuel said workplace happiness comes when all civil servants enjoy doing the tasks assigned to them even under pressure. They feel right about the people they are working with. They are happy with the financial benefits they get from the job and they have the motivation of improving their existing skills day by day.
Association of Government Employees for a New Dynamic Angeles City (AGENDA) President Flordeliza Santos expressed gratitude to the city government for releasing the year-end bonus and cash incentives in time for the Christmas season.
It can be recalled Lazatin has also ordered the release of P7,000 SRI and P3,000 CNA bonus to 1,316 employees in 2019.
Meanwhile, there are legislative proposals in the civil service such as providing security of tenure for all casual and contractual employees. It has been proposed that all incumbent casual and contractual government employees who have rendered at least five years of continuous service in the case of national government agencies or a total of 10 years of continuous service in the case of local government units (LGUS) shall be entitled to a security of tenure.
Provided, that said requirement of continuous service may be waived if the service of the official or employee concerned prior to the completion of the said years was interrupted by not more than three years, taken cumulatively, due to either abolition of position, reorganization of the office wherein he was phased out or downsized.
Provided, further, that in the case of officials or employees who have been previously employed in the same government agency in any capacity, the said requirement of continuous service may likewise be waived if the interruption of their service is not more than 18 months, taken, cumulatively, so long as the minimum required period is met.
It has been often said that the men and women in government service particularly those who have devoted their years in government for more than 20 or 30 years despite meager salaries are the so-called “unsung heroes of our country”. But beyond this recognition, nothing much appears to await them as they leave the government service.
Another proposed measure is the automatic promotion of government officials and employees who are eligible for compulsory retirement shall be granted one grade level higher than his or her position at the time of retirement. For this purpose the adjusted salary grade level of the retiree shall be used as the basis for the computation of his or her retirement.
This proposed measure and the above mentioned were authored by Representative Manuel DG. Cabochan III granting due recognition to the unsung heroes by the expedient act of promoting them one grade higher at the time of their retirement, an assurance that when they leave the government service, they are rewarded daily.
This system of automatic promotion is an enshrined policy in the military and their is no compelling reason why said system should not likewise be extended to the civil service.