Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte announced on Saturday, Oct. 8, that employees of the City Hall will each receive a P10,000 bonus as a way to thank them for their contributions to the city's achievements.

Belmonte made the announcement during the Inter-department Dance Competition, which is part of the celebration of the city’s 83rd Founding Anniversary, at the Quezon Memorial Circle on Saturday.

The mayor had earlier signed the City Ordinance No. SP-3138, S-2022, that grants the incentive to the City Hall employees, including those holding contracts of service, job orders, and consultancy contracts.

The local government said the City Council approved the ordinance after the city government earned “unqualified opinion” from the Commission on Audit (COA) for the years 2020 and 2021.

An unqualified opinion is the highest audit opinion that the COA gives to a government agency including a local government unit (LGU), it added.

According to the COA, the unqualified opinion is issued when the auditor concludes that the financial statements of a government agency or LGU are prepared, in all material respects, in accordance with the applicable financial reporting framework.

“Ang bonus na ito ay pagkilala ng ating pamahalaang lungsod at ng ating Quezon City Council, sa pamumuno ni presiding officer at Vice Mayor Gian Sotto, sa sipag ng ating mga tauhan na nakatulong para makuha natin ang mga karangalan mula sa Commission on Audit (COA) (This bonus is a recognition by our city government and our Quezon City Council, under the leadership of presiding officer and Vice Mayor Gian Sotto, for the hard work of our staff that helped us get the honors from the Commission on Audit (COA)),” the mayor said.

“Malaking tulong ang halagang ito sa ating mga empleyado bilang pandagdag gastos sa pangangailangan ng kanilang mga pamilya, lalo ngayong tumataas ang halaga ng ilang pangunahing bilihin (This amount is a great help to our employees as additional budget for the needs of their families, especially now that the cost of some basic goods is increasing),” Belmonte added.

The city government said the mayor also issued a memorandum circular that prescribes the guidelines for the implementation of the said ordinance where the city budget officer was instructed to release the necessary funds for the P10,000 incentives.

All department heads have also been ordered to submit the names of the employees who are entitled to receive the bonus.

“The grant of additional incentive to all Quezon City government employees is imperative and of utmost necessity in consideration of the various achievements of the city government despite the challenges,” the ordinance stated.

“With the sound financial management of the city, it is high time that the gains of which they all contributed must be felt by them,” it added.