Around 6,000 public teachers in Cebu will receive an early Christmas bonus amounting to $200 (P10,000) each according to sources.
Cebu teachers rejoice over early Christmas bonus.
CEBU – Christmas will be extra special for about 6000 public teachers in Cebu City, Philippines. The local government has just announced an additional $200 (five million pesos) Christmas bonus for all teachers under the city of Cebu.
The city government allocated more than $100,000 worth of funds under their 2019 yearly budget for the Christmas bonus and expenses for the teacher’s Christmas party.
According to Mayor Edgardo Labella of Cebu,
For me, public teachers are the most overworked yet underpaid profession in our society. I pity their situation, which is why I want to make them happy and important, especially this Christmas season. The government will sponsor a $200 (P10,000) Christmas bonus for each of them.
Releasing of the bonus
The city government announced its release of the seasonal gift for public teachers around the second or third week of December, ample time to spend in preparing for the Christmas celebration.
Christmas might be celebrated longest in the Philippines. If the rest of the world pays much importance in seasonal holidays like Thanksgiving and Halloween, here in the Philippines, it is Christmas that Filipinos celebrate the most.
As early as mid-September, Christmas songs are played on the radio and shopping malls. By November right after Halloween, Christmas decors start to fill different stalls in shopping malls.
And the Filipino celebration even extends way over Christmas day, and some celebrate it until January 6, which is the Feast of the three kings.
The Filipino’s love for festivities makes Christmas a significant part of the year for them. Being a widely Catholic nation, practices during this season, like the Simbang Gabi, makes the involvement of the people in the Christmas celebration even more compared to other countries.
Feature image by Expat.ph
