Council Approves ‘Calamity Assistance’

The Cebu City Council unanimously approved that each of the 4,200 permanent and casual employees of the Cebu City government will be granted P20,000 “Calamity Assistance” but two city councilors have decided not to accept such cash aid.

“Mauwaw mi modawat og Calamity Assistance kay wala man kami mabiktima sa bag-yo ug sa linog pero wala kami mosupak nga ang City Hall mohatag og tag P20,000 sa mga employees,” said Councilor Margarita “Margot” Osmeña and Lea Ouano-Japson.

Mayor Michael Rama was happy when he learned that his proposal was approved by the City Council, although he decided not to give any comment about the decision of Osmeña and Japson not to accept the Calamity Assistance.

The fund source for the granting of Calamity Assistance to each of the city employees will not be taken from the Calamity Budget, but it will be taken from the P140.3 Million Supplemental Budget No. 3.

But what raised the eyebrows of some persons was that the City Council approved the mayor’s proposal to give P20,000 to each of the city officials and employees even before the approval of the supplemental budget.

Meanwhile, it was learned that the executive department had decided that the amount will be called Calamity Assistance so that the city will not exceed the 45-percent limit on personal services that is set for under Republic Act 7160.

The law provides that “the total appropriation, whether annual or supplemental, for personal services of a local government unit for one fiscal year must not exceed 45 percent of the total annual income from regular sources realized in the next preceding fiscal year.”

According to City Administrator Jose Marie Poblete the personal services limitation was one of their considerations when they have decided to give calamity assistance instead of a bonus to each of the employees.