By Brian Campued
“Every peso we release for our uniformed personnel is a small way of saying ‘maraming salamat po’ for their unwavering service to the country.”
Qualified members of the Philippine Navy (PN), Philippine Air Force (PAF), and the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) will soon receive their performance-based bonus (PBB) after the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) approved the release of 2023 PBB amounting to P783.28 million.
In a news release Tuesday, DBM Secretary Amenah Pangandaman underscored President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s support and appreciation for security agencies as they “continue to protect the Filipino people from threats, which oftentimes come with great risk and sacrifice.”
“Our soldiers and intelligence personnel give their blood, sweat, and sometimes even their lives to protect the Filipino people. The PBB may be a small thing compared to the magnitude of their sacrifices, but it is our way of recognizing their heroism and commitment to the nation,” Pangandaman said.
Based on the Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) for qualified PN officials and employees issued on Oct. 17, around P421.985 million will cover the PBB of 25,821 personnel belonging to the First, Second, and Third Levels who received at least a “very satisfactory” rating.
Eligible Navy officials and employees will each receive a PBB equivalent to 48.75% of their respective monthly basic salaries as of Dec. 31, 2023.
A separate SARO issued on Oct. 14 will cover the funding requirements for the 2023 PBB of 19,803 qualified Air Force personnel, amounting to P342.467 million. They will receive a PBB equivalent to 52% of their basic salaries as of Dec. 31, 2023.
Meanwhile, a total of P18.828 million will go to NICA to cover the PBB of 896 eligible personnel based on the SARO issued on Oct. 9. NICA employees shall receive 52% of their basic salary as of Dec. 31, 2023.
The approval of 2023 PBB for PN, PAF, and NICA followed the earlier approval of P1.64 billion for the performance bonuses of 110,688 qualified officials and employees of the Philippine Army and P3.39 billion for over 225,000 personnel of the Philippine National Police.
The DBM had also previously approved the release of the 2023 PBB of qualified teachers and non-teaching personnel in public schools.(with report from Denisse Osorio / PTV News)
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