Manila releases P173.6M in retiree benefits
Published Aug 11, 2026 03:31 pm
After years of waiting, 260 retired Manila city government employees finally received their terminal leave benefits Tuesday, August 11, as Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso released a total of P173.67 million to clear a backlog of unpaid claims.
Domagoso distributed the benefits during a ceremony at Bulwagang Villegas, saying some retirees had waited as long as four years to receive money they had earned from their years of service to the city government.
“What would you feel kung yung pinagtrabahuhan mong siyudad ang siya pang hindi magbibigay ng bagay na dapat lamang sa iyo? (What would you feel if the city you worked for was the one that failed to give you what you rightfully deserve?),” Domagoso said.
The total amount released was P173,669,852, distributed among 260 retirees grouped according to their length of service.
The largest group consisted of 91 employees who served 31 to 40 years and collectively received around P83.2 million.
Another 24 retirees who served more than 40 years received a combined P43.4 million.
Domagoso said around 80 percent of the recipients retired during his current term, while the remaining 20 percent had been waiting for their benefits from previous administrations.
The mayor also recalled an issue involving GSIS contributions during his first term, when the city government had failed to remit contributions deducted from employees’ salaries.
He said the city eventually settled more than P200 million, including penalties, to enable affected employees to claim their GSIS benefits.
Domagoso said the latest release was part of the city’s responsibility to employees who had spent decades serving Manila.
“We cannot neglect our obligation to our fellow public servants who served 10 years, 11 to 20 years, 21 to 30 years, at sa mga batang-bata pa nung una, 31 to 40 years (We cannot neglect our obligation to our fellow public servants who served for 10 years, 11 to 20 years, 21 to 30 years, and those who were still very young when they started and served for 31 to 40 years),” he said.
He pledged that the city would work to prevent another backlog from building up and ensure that retirees who have completed the necessary clearances receive their benefits promptly.
“Pag nakumpleto mo yung clearances mo, kinabukasan may tseke ka na (Once you complete your clearances, you’ll have a check the next day),” Domagoso said.
He also thanked the retirees for their years of service and acknowledged the personal sacrifices they made while working for the city government.
“Pinaghirapan at pinagpaguran niyo ’to. You deserve this (You worked hard for this. You deserve this),” he said.
The release forms part of the city’s effort to settle long-pending terminal leave claims and provide retired employees with benefits accumulated during their years in public service.