Negros Occidental, Bacolod LGUs begin bonus releases for 2023

By Dolly Yasa

Negros Occidental provincial government and Bacolod City officials have begun rolling out multiple year-end incentives for their employees, including the long-awaited 2023 Performance-Based Bonus (PBB), Collective Negotiation Agreement (CNA) incentive, and other benefits.

Governor Eugenio Jose “Bong” Lacson confirmed that the PBB for provincial employees has started disbursement following the Department of the Interior and Local Government’s release of implementing guidelines in November.

The bonus is equivalent to 50 percent of an eligible employee’s monthly salary and will be granted only to regular and casual personnel upon completion of required documents.

Lacson noted that many provincial employees have already received their share, and the remaining payments will be made once paperwork is finalized.

Aside from the PBB, the province is releasing a PHP 5,000 cash gift to employees and has previously distributed other scheduled incentives.

Payroll preparation is also underway for the CNA incentive, with each eligible employee set to receive PHP 30,000 before the year ends.

On the Service Recognition Incentive (SRI), Lacson said the provincial government is still waiting for the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to issue guidelines.

He added that the SRI may reach up to PHP 20,000 per employee, subject to DBM’s final approval.

In Bacolod City, Mayor Greg Gasataya confirmed that the local government has an approved budget for employee bonuses and is preparing to release them next week.

City employees will receive a PHP 30,000 CNA incentive along with the PBB, which in Bacolod is pegged at 65 percent of an employee’s monthly salary.

Gasataya emphasized that only a few local government units (LGUs) in Negros Occidental qualified for the full 65 percent PBB rate, with most receiving 50 percent.

Meanwhile, Governor Lacson, who is celebrating his birthday this week, shared his perennial wish for the province’s safety and prosperity.

“For 2026, I continue to hope for a catastrophe-free year for the province, and I wish everybody happiness and everyone good health and prosperity,” he said.