The Governance Commission for Government-Owned or -Controlled Corporations (GCG) said that granting incentives to exemplary employees should adhere to the rules outlined by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) and the Commission on Audit (COA) to ensure the incentives or awards go to deserving individuals. This came in response to reports from the COA, which raised concerns about the lack of supporting documents for incentives granted under the Awards and Incentives for Service Excellence (PRAISE) program. The agency stressed that government-owned or -controlled corporations (GOCCs) must strictly adhere to the general guidelines outlined by the PRAISE program when awarding incentives. With that, the GCG reiterated the significance of transparency and accountability for state-owned companies. Furthermore, the GCG said GOCCs should establish their internal procedures and strategies, ensuring that they are approved by the CSC before implementing the PRAISE program. The PRAISE program was instituted by the CSC in 2001, enabling the granting of incentives and awards to government personnel. Under Executive Order No. 150, s.2021, PRAISE is recognized as one of the incentives that may be provided to officers and employees of GOCCs, on the condition that they adhere to the guidelines established by the CSC. “The GCG defers to the Civil Service Commission, being the constitutional body serving as the central personnel agency of the government, on matters pertaining to PRAISE,” the policy-making body for GOCCs said. Under existing guidelines, an agency must achieve at least 80 percent performance accomplishment of its targets for it to be eligible to grant incentives to its employees. The implementation of the PRAISE program is closely monitored by both the CSC and COA. GCG said this dual oversight ensures that there are robust measures in place to promote the prudent and transparent utilization of public funds when recognizing the outstanding contributions of government employees. Meanwhile, the GCG has required GOCCs to submit COA findings to facilitate the identification of any outstanding issues, including those related to the provision of incentives and bonuses. The GCG said this enables them to address and draw the attention of the relevant state-run companies to any unresolved matters that may require attention.