By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

At least 3,400 employees of the Negros Occidental provincial government may have a merry Christmas after all. This after the Provincial Legal Office approved the draft Collective Negotiation Agreement (CNA) between the provincial government and the Progressive Alliance of Capitol Employees (PACE).

Provincial administrator, Atty. Rayfrando Diaz, said Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson had already signed the endorsement of the CNA and it would be submitted to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) for approval.

The CNA bonus will be approved during the SP’s regular session next week.

Diaz said capitol employees will get no less than P25,000 depending on the savings from the maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE), as allowed by the Department of Budget and Management as well as the Commission on Audit.

“If there are enough savings we will recommend that they be released as CNA Bonus,” Diaz pointed out.

The MOOE covers travelling expenses, communication expenses, repairs and maintenance, transportation expenses, supplies and materials, advertising, printing and publication and subscription.

As for the grant of extra bonuses for the capitol employees, Diaz said they are still waiting for an order from the Malacañang palace, and if approved it would be handed over to the employees before the year ends.

Earlier, employees of the provincial government also received their 14th month bonus and an additional P5,000 in cash as part of their Performance Enhancement Incentives./DGB, WDJ