Dear PAO,

I have been a public school teacher since 2011. I was on sick leave starting August 1, 2024 until January 30, 2025. From August to November 2024, I was receiving my salary but after I used up all my leaves, I did not receive my salary starting December 2024. Aside from that, I did not receive the cash gifts and bonuses, like PEI and SRI. I contacted our HR regarding this, but they said I am not entitled to those incentives. Please enlighten me on this. Thank you.

Angeline

Dear Angeline,

On Dec. 12, 2024, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. issued Administrative Order (AO) 27, authorizing the grant of a one-time Service Recognition Incentive in an amount not exceeding P20,000 per eligible employee in the Executive Branch of the government. In addition, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) approved Budget Circular (BC) 2024-17 on Dec. 4, 2024, granting Productivity Enhancement Incentive (PEI) in the amount of P5,000 to qualified government employees.

Pursuant to the aforementioned issuances, the following personnel are qualified to receive both the PEI and the SRI: civilian government personnel occupying regular, contractual, or casual positions and military personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Department of National Defense and Uniformed personnel of the Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection, and Bureau of Jail Management and Penology. (Sec. 1 of AO 27, s. 2024, and Part 3.0 of DBM BC 2024-17 in relation to Part 2.0 of DBM BC 2017-4)

These incentives are established to acknowledge the loyalty, commitment, and substantive contributions of government personnel, thereby promoting the viability and operational efficacy of their respective agencies. Both the PEI and SRI shall be given to government employees not earlier than Dec. 15, 2024, subject to the guidelines, conditions, and funding sources set forth in the above-mentioned administrative order and budget circulars.

PEI and SRI shall be granted to government employees who meet the following conditions:

1. They must be in government service as of Nov. 30, 2024; and

2. They must have rendered at least four months of satisfactory service as of the said date. Those who have rendered less than a total or aggregate of four months of satisfactory service as of Nov. 30, 2024, shall be entitled to a pro-rated SRI and PEI. (Sec. 2 of AO 27, s. 2024, and Part 3.0 of DBM BC 2024-17 in relation to Part 4.0 of DBM BC 2017-4)

Based on the information you provided, it appears that you are a regular government employee who has rendered continuous service from January to July 30, 2024 — exceeding the minimum four-month service period. Considering your length of service and assuming you have rendered satisfactory service, you may be entitled to both the PEI and SRI. In this regard, you may consider submitting a written request to your office, asserting your entitlement to the aforementioned incentives and invoking the pertinent provisions of AO 27, series of 2024 and DBM BC 2024-17 and 2017-4 as legal bases for such claim.

We hope that we were able to answer your queries. This advice was based solely on the facts you have narrated and our appreciation of the same. Our opinion may vary when other facts are changed or elaborated.

Thank you for your continued trust and support.

Editor’s note: Dear PAO is a daily column of the Public Attorney’s Office. Questions for Chief Acosta may be sent to [email protected]