Christmas comes early for Davao government employees with up P15T bonus guaranteed

Employees of the Davao City government will have more reasons to smile these days after they were assured of their Christmas bonus.

The Davao City government has assured the employees of the early release this November of the remaining portions of their 13th month pay, half of which was already released last June.

“We will start to release the 13th month pay of the local government employees by November,” Assistant City Administrator/Human Resource Management Office Department head Edwin Alparaque said yesterday.

Alparaque also assured the employees that they will be given their Social Amelioration Bonus amounting to P15,000 for regular employees and P10,000 for contractual employees and job orders.

“These benefits are already part of the 2012 annual appropriation so I do not see any reason why they won’t receive these benefits this year,” he said.

The same Social Amelioration Pay has been previously given to the employees last year, he added.

However, Alparaque clarified that this is not yet the signing bonus as both management and labor are still negotiating the Collective Negotiation Agreement (CNA). The signing bonus, he added, is given the employees whenever a new CNA has been negotiated and approved.

“Ginatuki pa man ang bag’ong CNA so wala pa’y signing bonus (we are still negotiating the new CNA so there is as yet no signing bonus),” he said

Christmas At NCCC Mall

The NCCC Mall in Matina has gone all out this Christmas, constructing two giant Christmas billboards along the entrance side. The billboards contain the mosaic-like images of kids which appropriately sends out NCCC Mall's message--that Christmas is truly for the kids and the kids at heart. It is only with a kid's heart that one is able to appreciate the true meaning of Christmas sans the expensive blinking Christmas lights, the sumptuous noche buena and even the expensive shopping list. On the sides of the billboards are giant parols customized for the design,

However, the Maa side of NCCC Mall is equally if not more attractive. Take a look at these photos.

Gamay'ng Belen Competition

Museo Dabawenyo is sponsoring a miniature Belen competition to symbolize the simplicity and humility of celebrating Christmas.

If you are a Dabawenyo then you are qualified to join the contest. Use your creative juices to come up with a three-dimensional belen depicting the nativity scene.

Participants can use any material but the use of recycled materials is encouraged. The entry should measure 2’ X 2’ X 2’ and any entry that does not conform to this will be automatically disqualified.

You may have several belen ideas but you can only submit one entry.

Get your entry forms from the Museo Dabawenyo and submit the form with your entry at the Museo Dabawenyo, corner CM Recto and Pichon Streets before December 1, 2008.

All entries will be exhibited at the Museo Dabawenyo from December 4 until January 10, 2009.

Interested? Call or visit Museo Dabawenyos and look for Orly Escarilla or Richard Dian Vilar.

The first prize winner will get P10,000 while the four runners up will get P5,000 each. There will also be five consolation prize winners who will receive P1,000 each.

No Lavish X'mas Decors For Davao City

Goodbye Santa!

Not the real Santa but the different Santa Claus figures being displayed at the ground of the Davao City Hall annually to signal the Holiday Season.

Davao City will cut back on its Christmas expenses this year not merely because of the financial crisis but because Duterte would rather spend for food to be distributed to the less fortunate instead of the city spending for extravagant Christmas decorations for the city's parks.

Reports show that Duterte asked city tourism officer Giovanni Aportadera to put on hold the preparations for the yearly Paskuhan Festival. It can be recalled that City Hall and the other major parks in the city are already filled with Christmas lights and other decorations even before the start of the season.

Duterte said Dabawenyos should buy the lowly parols beings sold in the sidewalks instead of prioritizing the lighted and very expensive decorations. By doing this, he said, you do not only save on money but you also help the man in the streets earn a living.