President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has issued an administrative order (AO) authorizing the grant of a Service Recognition Incentive (SRI) to qualified government personnel for fiscal year 2024, including teachers and military and uniformed personnel, who will each receive PHP20,000.

Under AO 27 inked by Marcos on Thursday, the one-time SRI will be given to civilian personnel in national government agencies (NGAs); military and police personnel; fire and jail personnel under the Department of the Interior and Local Government; and personnel of the Bureau of Corrections, Philippine Coast Guard, and National Mapping and Resource Information Authority.

Eligible government employees will start receiving the SRI on Dec. 15.

In a statement, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman commended Marcos for authorizing the release of the SRI to all government employees for fiscal year 2024.

Pangandaman relayed the “good news” that public school teachers, as well as the military and uniformed personnel, will receive PHP20,000 worth of SRI to boost their morale. For the rest of the government employees, the SRI will be at a uniform rate not exceeding PHP20,000.

The SRI will be granted to civilian personnel in NGAs, including those in state universities and colleges (SUCs) and government-owned and -controlled corporations, occupying regular, contractual or casual positions.

The incentive will be given to those who have completed four months of satisfactory government service as of Nov. 30, 2024, and who continue to work for the government.

Those who have rendered less than four months of satisfactory service as of Nov. 30, 2024 will be entitled to a pro-rated SRI.

Employees of the Senate, the House of Representatives, judiciary, Office of the Ombudsman, and constitutional offices may, likewise, be granted a one-time SRI by their respective office heads at a uniform rate not exceeding PHP20,000, chargeable against the available Personnel Services (PS) allotment of their respective agencies.

The SRI may also be given to employees of local government units (LGUs), including those in the villages, depending on the LGUs’ financial capability.

According to AO 27, local water districts may also grant the incentive to their employees at a uniform rate to be determined by their boards of directors.

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.

Employees engaged without employer-employee relationship, and whose compensation are funded from non-PS appropriations are excluded from the grant of SRI.

These include consultants and experts engaged for a limited period to perform specific activities or services with expected outputs; laborers engaged through job contracts and paid on piecework basis; student workers and apprentices; and individuals engaged through job orders, contracts of service and other similar arrangements.

AO 27, a copy of which was made public on Friday, takes effect immediately upon its publication in the Official Gazette or a newspaper of general circulation. (PNA)