Water execs willing to cut 13 bonuses

MANILA, Philippines–Under fire for alleged excessive salaries and bonuses of its officials and employees, the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System has recommended to President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III the immediate suspension of nine months’ bonuses and a review of four other bonuses.

But in her letter dated August 18, 2010, MWSS officer-in-charge Macra Cruz recommended the continuation of five months bonuses and 11 forms of allowances that their employees have been enjoying for the past years.

The nine bonuses recommended for suspension are the following: educational assistance, OGCC incentive, calamity financial/economic assistance (one time but equivalent to two months gross pay), financial assistance, efficiency incentive bonus, traditional Christmas bonus, rate rebasing bonus, privatization anniversary bonus, and productivity incentive bonus.

The four bonuses requested for review are the following:

1. Performance enhancement pay, which is equivalent to one month gross pay and is being enjoy by employees since 2007.

Instead of one month gross pay, Cruz suggested that it should only be fixed at P3,000 each.

2. Performance bonus (P10,000 only instead of one month gross pay).

3. CNA incentive, which is equivalent to one month gross pay by Cruz suggested that it should be “dependent upon savings derived by the system.”

4. And the Corporate Christmas Package, which was first given in the form of gift check from P10,000 but increased to P30,000.

Cruz said the agency will revisit the amount after a “comparative analysis with other offices.”

Cruz maintained, however, the need to continue with the five bonuses and they are the following: year-end financial assistance, mid-year financial assistance, 13th month pay and cash gift (basic pay plus P5,000 cash gift), anniversary bonus, and productivity incentive bonus.

Cruz also recommended the continuation of the following allowances: Pera and Adcom, Rata, rice and meal allowance, longevity allowance, children’s allowance, and hazard pay.

The six, she said, were being enjoyed by the MWSS employees even before the privatization.

The other five allowance requested for continuation are: amelioration allowance, cost of living allowance, PX mart/grocery allowance, Family Day allowance, and scholarship allowance. –Maila Ager, INQUIRER.net