DBM Releases Guidelines on the Grant of the One-Time Service Recognition Incentive for FY 2019

 Administrative Order (AO) No. 19 dated December 2, 2019 authorizes the grant of a one-time Service Recognition Incentive (SRI) for FY 2019 at a uniform amount not exceeding Ten Thousand Pesos (PIO,000) for each government employee.

DBM BUDGET CIRCULAR NO. 2019-6

The issuance of AO No. 19 is in accordance with Section (17)(iv) of Congress Joint Resolution (JR) No. 42 dated June 17, 2009 which authorizes the President, upon recommendation of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), to update the Compensation and Position Classification System for civilian personnel and Base Pay Schedule for military and uniformed personnel, as well as the policies on and levels of allowances, benefits and incentives applicable to all government employees.

Purpose

This Circular is issued to prescribe the guidelines on the grant and the funding of the SRI for FY 2019 pursuant to AO No. 19.

Coverage

The guidelines in this Circular cover the following employees:

• Civilian personnel in national government agencies (NGAs), including those in SUCs and GOCCs, occupying regular, contractual or casual positions;
• Military personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Department of National Defense; and uniformed personnel of the Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection, and Bureau of Jail Management and Penology under the Department of the Interior and Local Government; Bureau of Corrections under the Department of Justice; Philippine Coast Guard under the Department of Transportation; and the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources;
• Employees in the Legislative and Judicial Departments and other offices vested with fiscal autonomy;
• Employees in LGUs; and
• Employees in LWDs.

Exclusions

Those engaged without an employer-employee relationship and whose compensation are not funded from Personnel Services (PS) appropriations/budgets are excluded from the grant of the SRI, such as:

• Consultants and experts engaged for a limited period to perform specific activities or services with expected outputs;
• Laborers engaged through job contracts (pakyaw) and those paid on piecework basis;
• Student workers and apprentices; and
• Individuals and groups of people whose services are engaged through job orders, contracts of service, or others similarly situated.

Conditions and Guidelines on the Grant of the One-Time SRI

The grant of the SRI shall be subject to the following conditions and guidelines:

• The civilian personnel are occupying regular, contractual or casual positions.
• The personnel are still in the service as of November 30, 2019.
• The personnel have rendered at least four (4) months of service as of November 30, 2019.
• Employees who have rendered less than four (4) months of service as of November 30, 2019 shall be entitled to a pro-rated share of the SRI, as follows:

        Length of Service Percentage of the Incentive

        3 months but less than 4 months 40%

        2 months but less than 3 months 30%

        1 month but less than 2 months 20%

        Less than 1 month 10%

• The personnel have not received any additional year-end benefit in FY 2019 over and above the benefit authorized under Republic Act (RA) No. 6686 dated December 14, 1988, as amended by RA No. 8441 dated December 22, 1997.
• The personnel have not been found guilty of any administrative or criminal cases by final and executory judgment in FY 2019. If the penalty imposed is only a reprimand, the personnel concerned shall be entitled to the SRI.
• The SRI of an employee on part-time basis shall be pro-rated corresponding to the services rendered. If employed on part-time basis with two (2) or more agencies, an employee shall be entitled to proportionate amounts corresponding to the services in each agency, provided that the total SRI shall not exceed the authorized amount.
• The SRI of an employee who transferred from one agency to another shall be granted by the new agency.
• The SRI of an employee on detail to another government agency shall be granted by the parent agency.
• A compulsory retiree, on service extension as of November 30, 2019, may be granted the SRI, subject to the pertinent conditions and guidelines under this Circular.

Funding Sources of the SRI for Employees in the Executive Department

For personnel in NGAs, including SUCs, and the military and uniformed personnel, the amount shall be charged against the:

• Miscellaneous Personnel Benefits Fund under the FY 2019 General Appropriations Act, which shall be released by the DBM, to fund a portion of the SRI in the amount of Seven Thousand Pesos (P7,000) for each employee. The release of funds shall not require the submission of requests from agencies.
• Available released PS allotments of the respective agencies for the remaining Three Thousand Pesos (P3,000) for each employee. In the event that the available released PS allotments are insufficient to fully cover the remaining P3,000 per employee, a lower but uniform amount shall be paid to all qualified employees of that agency.

For personnel in GOCCs, the amount required shall be charged against their respective approved corporate operating budgets (COBs) for FY 2019 only. A GOCC which does not have sufficient funds to cover the maximum amount of RIO,000 may grant the SRI at a lower but uniform rate for all qualified personnel in that GOCC.

SRI for Employees in the Legislative and Judicial Departments and Other Offices Vested with Fiscal Autonomy

Employees in the Senate, House of Representatives, The Judiciary, Office of the Ombudsman, and Constitutional Offices vested with fiscal autonomy may likewise be granted a one-time SRI by their respective heads of offices at a uniform rate not exceeding P10,000 each, chargeable against the available released allotments of their respective agencies, subject to the conditions and guidelines set in Item 5.0 of this Circular.

SRI for Employees in LGUs

The grant of the one-time SRI to employees in LGUs, including those in the barangays, shall be determined by their respective sanggunian depending on the LGU’s financial capability, at a uniform rate not exceeding P10,000 each, subject to the following conditions:

• The SRI shall be charged against their respective local government funds, subject to the PS limitation in LGU budgets pursuant to Sections 325(a) and 331(b) of RA No. 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991;
• The guidelines on the grant of the SRI under Item 5.0 of this Circular shall be adhered to; and
• In determining the amount of the SRI, the sanggunian shall exercise prudence and judicious use of government funds, ensuring that the expenditure is reasonable and will not, in any way, adversely affect the delivery of services to the public.

SRI for Employees in LWDs

LWDs may also grant the SRI to their employees at a uniform rate to be determined by their Boards of Directors (BOD), which shall not exceed PIO,000 each, chargeable against their respective BOD-approved FY 2019 COBs only, subject to the conditions and guidelines set in Item 5.0 of this Circular.

SRI for Employees in Agencies Exempted from the Coverage of RA No. 6758, as Amended

NGAs and GOCCs exempted from the coverage of RA No. 6758, as amended, may also grant tne SRI to their employees at a uniform rate to be determined by their governing boards or agency heads, which shall not exceed P10,000 each, chargeable against the NGAs’ respective available funds and the GOCCs’ FY 2019 COBs only, subject to the conditions and guidelines set in Item 5.0 of this Circular.

Payment of the SRI

The payment of the SRI to all qualified government employees shall not be earlier than December 20, 2019

Responsibilities of Agencies

Agencies shall be responsible for the proper implementation of the provisions of this Circular. The responsible officers shall be held liable for any payment not in accordance with the provisions hereof without prejudice to the refund by the employees concerned of any excess or unauthorized payments.

Resolution of Cases

Cases not covered by the provisions of this Circular shall be referred to the DBM for resolution.

Effectivity

This Circular shall take effect immediately.

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