Gov’t workers to get P20,000 SRI starting Dec. 15, 2024

Government workers, including uniformed personnel, have more reason for holiday cheer more than a week before Christmas after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. approved the grant of service recognition incentives (SRI) for the fiscal year 2024.

Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, by the authority of the President, issued Administrative Order No. 27 on December 12, 2024.

The AO No. 27 authorized the grant of a one-time SRI at a uniform rate of P20,000 each, which shall be received by both civilian and military government personnel “not earlier than December 15, 2024.”

Covered by the granting of SRI are civilian personnel in national government agencies, including those in state universities and colleges (SUCs) and government-owned or -controlled corporations, “occupying regular, contractual or casual positions.”

Also entitled to receive the cash incentive are military personnel of the  Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) under the 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, the Bureau of Corrections under the Department of Justice, the Philippine Coast Guard under the Department of Transportation, and the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

The grant of SRI, however, shall be subject to the following conditions:

• The civilian personnel are occupying regular, contractual, or casual positions
• The personnel are still in government service as of November 30, 2024
• The personnel have rendered at least a total of an aggregate of four months of satisfactory service as of November 30, 2024, inclusive of services rendered under any of the alternative work arrangements prescribed by the Civil Service Commission
• The employee has not received any additional year-end benefit in FY 2024 over and above the authorized under RA No. 6686

Meanwhile, those who have rendered less than a total or an aggregate of four months of service as of November 30, 2024, shall be entitled to a prorated SRI which shall be given as follows:

• 40% of SRI for three months but less than four months of service
• 30% of SRI for two months but less than 3 months of service
• 20% of SRI for one month but less than two months of service
• 10% of SRI for less than one month of service

Apart from workers in the executive branch, employees in the legislative and judicial branches and other offices “vested with fiscal autonomy” such as those in the Senate, House of Representatives, Judiciary, Office of the Ombudsman shall be granted a one-time SRI of not more than P20,000.

Likewise, workers in local government units (LGUs) including those in barangays are entitled to receive the one-time SRI.

Moreover, employees in local water districts shall also receive the cash incentive.

In a statement, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman welcomed the issuance of AO No. 27.

"Nagpapasalamat po tayo kay Pangulong Bongbong Marcos sa pag-apruba ng kautusan na magbibigay ng SRI sa lahat ng ating mga lingkod bayan. Sigurado po ako, maituturing itong maagang pamasko ng ating mga kawani at kanilang pamilya lalo’t paparating na ang holiday season," said Pangandaman.

"First time in history makukuha po ng ating mga guro sa DepEd nang buo ang kanilang SRI. Mula P15,000 noong 2022 at P18,000 noong 2023, magiging P20,000 na po ito ngayong 2024. Kaisa po tayo ng Pangulo sa pagkilala sa hirap at sakripisyo ng ating mga guro na tumatayong pangalawang magulang sa ating mga kabataan," added the Budget chief.

“May magandang balita rin po tayo sa ating kapulisan. Kung noong 2023 ay P12,500 lang ang na-receive na SRI ng ating mga PNP employees, ngayong 2024 ay P20,000 na po ang matatanggap nila,” Pangandaman said.

“Nireport din po sa akin na pati ang ating mga kasundaluhan sa AFP, pati na rin po ang mga nasa BJMP, Bureau of Fire Protection, BuCor, Philippine Coast Guard at NAMRIA ay matatanggap ng buo ang kanilang SRI. Ibig sabihin, P20,000 po ang makukuha ng ating mga Military and Uniformed Personnel this 2024. Malaking tulong at boost po ‘yan sa kanilang morale,” the Budget chief said.

(We thank President Bongbong Marcos for approving the order that grants the Service Recognition Incentive (SRI) to all our public servants. I am confident that this will be considered an early Christmas gift for our employees and their families, especially with the holiday season approaching.

For the first time in history, our teachers in the Department of Education (DepEd) will receive their SRI in full. From PHP 15,000 in 2022 and PHP 18,000 in 2023, it will increase to PHP 20,000 this 2024. We stand with the President in recognizing the hard work and sacrifices of our teachers, who serve as second parents to our youth.

We also have good news for our police officers. If they received only PHP 12,500 in SRI in 2023, this 2024, they will receive PHP 20,000.

I was also informed that our soldiers in the AFP, as well as those in the BJMP, BFP, BuCor, PCG, and NAMRIA, will also receive their SRI in full. This means that Military and Uniformed Personnel will receive PHP 20,000 in 2024. This will be a significant help and morale boost for them.)

The DBM said that the “funding source for the granting of SRI is based on the available allotment of agencies, who, themselves can determine the SRI rate that they shall grant to their respective employees for 2024.”

The SRI is an incentive being given to government workers in recognition of their unwavering commitment and dedication to continuously providing effective and efficient public service despite the challenges posed by various domestic and external factors.

Exclusions

The AO No. 27 also provided exclusions in the granting of the SRI.

The order said “those engaged without employer-employee relationship, and whose compensation are funded from non-Personnel Services appropriations are excluded from the grant of 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

Individuals and groups of people whose services are engaged through job orders, contracts of service or others similarly situated

The order shall take effect immediately upon its publication in the Official Gazette or a newspaper of general circulation.  —NB, GMA Integrated News