Job Order (JO) and Contract of Service (COS) workers in Mandaue City have finally received their long-awaited gratuity pay after the City Council approved a supplemental budget allocating funds for this purpose. The council passed Ordinance No. 76-2026 for Supplemental Budget No. 1 of 2026, amounting to P197,715,908.06, on April 6, 2026.
Budget Allocation and Eligibility Criteria
Councilor Joel Seno, chairman of the Committee on Appropriation, Budget, and Finance, explained that part of this budget will be disbursed as gratuity pay for qualified JO and COS personnel. He noted that the benefit was originally scheduled for release in December or January but faced delays due to technical issues.
The amount each worker receives depends on their length of service. Employees who served for at least four months with satisfactory performance until December 15 are eligible to receive between P5,000 and P7,000.
Those who worked for a minimum of three months but less than four months can receive a benefit of up to P6,000. Workers with service durations of two to three months may qualify for amounts reaching P5,000.
Individuals who served for less than two months may be granted up to P4,000, calculated on a prorated basis according to their exact service period.
Funding Source and Implementation
The city experienced a shortage of funds for the implementation of the gratuity pay. That is why the mayor looked for ways to fund it. The P197 million includes the gratuity pay, stated Seno. The P197 million supplemental budget was sourced from unused funds in 2025, including portions of the 20 percent development fund and projects that did not proceed.
This benefit distribution follows Administrative Order (AO) No. 39 and AO 28, issued by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., to recognize the significant contributions of JO and COS workers to the government.
Worker Reactions and Future Steps
Workers expressed immense gratitude for the approval. Ziccell Anne Baflor, an office aide at the Sangguniang Panlungsod, shared her relief and plans for the funds.
We are very happy that it has finally been approved. We can use this, especially with the school opening soon, to buy necessities for our children, said Baflor.
Although the budget has been approved, no exact date has been announced for the distribution. However, officials have assured that the funds will be released as soon as possible to support the workers promptly.
