Cebu City Councilor Harold Kendrick Go has made an urgent appeal to business establishments across the city to release the 13th month pay of their employees ahead of schedule to provide relief to workers affected by Typhoon Tino.
Official Appeal for Early Payment
In a Facebook post on Friday, November 7, 2025, Councilor Go called on business owners to demonstrate compassion and support their workforce during the city's recovery efforts from the recent typhoon. "We appeal to all business establishments to release the 13th month pay early to help employees affected by the recent typhoon," stated Go, who serves as chairman of the Committee on Business and Urban Planning.
The councilor emphasized the importance of coordination with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to ensure proper implementation of the early release. Go revealed that he has already begun coordinating with several companies to facilitate this initiative following DOLE guidelines.
Positive Response from Major Companies
Following Councilor Go's appeal, Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña announced that several major Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) companies have responded positively to the initiative. In his own Facebook post, Osmeña confirmed that Accenture and Conduent have agreed to advance the distribution of 13th month pay to their employees and are already processing the payments.
Osmeña further revealed that Synchrony and Concentrix are also taking similar actions to support their workforce. "Through Councilor Harold Go, we are in talks with other BPOs and businesses for them to follow suit. Hopefully, this will give the workers a little extra breathing room," the Vice Mayor stated.
Comprehensive Support from Companies
The response from businesses extends beyond early salary payments. According to Osmeña, Synchrony not only helped rescue its employees and their families but also provided temporary accommodation at Waterfront Hotel. The company additionally offered financial assistance for home repairs and even chartered an airplane to deliver care packages to Cebu.
Meanwhile, Conduent has been providing free transportation and care packages for affected families, while TechMahindra is offering free meals and transportation services to its employees. These comprehensive support measures demonstrate the business community's commitment to helping Cebu recover from Typhoon Tino's impact.
The coordinated efforts between government officials and private companies highlight the community's resilience and collective response to natural disasters, ensuring that workers receive crucial financial support during challenging times.
