In addition to their regular salaries, government personnel receive special bonuses, benefit, and allowances from time to time. Examples include the Performance Based Bonus (PBB) for teachers, salary increase for government employees, and the Health Emergency Allowance (HEA) for medical workers.
Before these bonuses and allowances are released, however, they must first be approved by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM). Another thing to watch out for is the Special Allotment Release Order (SARO), which indicates that the allocated funds have been released to the agencies concerned.
What is DBM?
Created under Executive Order No. 25 on April 25, 1936, the Department of Budget and Management is mandated to “promote the sound, efficient, and effective management and utilization of government resources.” These include the manpower, physical, technological, and financial resources that are used in achieving the country’s socioeconomic and development goals.
According to the DBM website, by the year 2028, the agency is envisioned to be:
- “A champion of sustainable and inclusive economic recovery and growth through a responsive, efficient, and effective public expenditure management system;
- An implementer of transformative budget policies and strategies that promote fiscal discipline, allocative efficiency, and operational efficiency with a broad-based adoption of advanced information and technology; and
- An institution composed of competent, technology-enabled, and agile public servants.”
To achieve this vision, the main mission of the DBM is “to lead public expenditure management to ensure the equitable, prudent, transparent, and accountable allocation and use of public funds to improve the quality of life of each and every Filipino.”
What is SARO?
The acronym SARO stands for “Special Allotment Release Order.” The DBM defines SARO as “a specific authority issued to identified agencies to incur obligations not exceeding a given amount during a specific period for the purpose indicated.”
The SARO is issued to different agencies, including the Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Health (DOH), and many more. It indicates the release of specific funds, which the agencies may use to achieve their respective goals and projects.
By issuing the SARO, the DBM ensures that the funds released to government agencies are of the right amount, and distributed within a specified time frame, based on the agencies’ projects.
Last year, President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. Approved an Executive Order to institutionalize the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS). This involves the “digitization” of budget releases such as the SARO, Notice of Cash Allocation (NCA), Notice of Organization, Staffing, and Compensation Action (NOSCA), and other transactions. In this manner, the process for issuing funds would be faster and more efficient, hastening the completion of government projects that would benefit the Filipino people.
How to Check SARO Releases Today Online
Today, any government agency, personnel, or even the general public can check the release of SAROs online. Since January of this year, the DBM has uploaded lists of approved SAROs on its website.
By making SAROs available for online viewing, the DBM is promoting transparency in their releases, while ensuring accountability in their disbursement of public funds. This move also avoids the need for agencies and individuals to follow up their SARO requests from the DBM, since the details are posted online.
Here is a step-by-step guide to checking SAROs online:
- Go to official website of DBM.
- Click the “Budget” tab.
- Under “Budget Releases,” click “Special Allotment Release Order (SARO).”
- Select the Fiscal Year (e.g. FY 2023, 2022, 2021, etc.) that you are looking for.
- Search for the SARO you need by looking for the issue date or SARO number.
- You can also download the SARO listing (PDF file) so you can view it offline.
On the SARO Listing featured on the DBM website, you will notice that the information displayed includes the following: SARO number, amount, approved date, released date, department, agency, operating unit, and purpose of the funds.
Meanwhile, here are the latest updates regarding SAROs that have been released recently.
DBM Releases PHP 27B for HEA of Medical Workers
On July 5, 2024, DBM Secretary Amenah Pangandaman approved a PHP 27.453 billion SARO for the health emergency allowance (HEA) of medical workers, the Philippine News Agency reported.
Sec. Pangandaman stated that the released fund would compensate 5,039,926 unpaid HEA and 4,283 COVID-19 sickness and death compensation claims of health care and non-healthcare workers.
The DMB Secretary also said that the SARO was issued to the DOH to cover the payment of Public Health Emergency Benefits and Allowances (PHEBA), which include: Special Risk Allowance, compensation for COVID-19 sickness and death, and additional benefits (e.g. transportation, meals, accommodation allowances) for healthcare workers.
Furthermore, she mentioned that the SARO goes in line with the directive of President Marcos, who ordered the settlement of all unpaid HEA claims of healthcare workers.
“Hindi na po kailangang hintayin pa next year o sa 2025 national budget ang pondo para mabayaran ‘yung natitirang HEA claims (There’s no need to wait until next year or for the 2025 national budget to pay the remaining HEA claims),” Sec. Pangandaman explained.
“Dahil tulad po ng sinabi ko, tutuparin po natin ang pangako ni Pangulong Bongbong Marcos na makuha na ng ating mga healthcare worker ang kanilang benepisyo ngayong taon (Just like what I said, we will fulfill the promise of President Marcos, that our healthcare workers will receive their benefits this year),” she confirmed.
PNP Starts Release of PBB for Police Personnel
Similarly, on July 5, the Philippine National Police announced that it will start distributing the Performance Based Bonus (PBB) of police personnel for the Fiscal Year 2022, Radyo Pilipinas reported.
The PNP stated that around 214,321 deserving PNP personnel will benefit from PHP 3.8 billion SARO, in recognition of their excellent service. Based on PBB Criteria and Conditions, PNP personnel need to have at least 80 points to receive the said incentive.
As for the delay in the distribution of PBB for the Fiscal Year 2022, the PNP explained that it took a long time because of several police personnel who faced cases and had low performance during the fiscal year concerned.
Notably, PNP Chief, Police General Rommel Francisco Marbil hopes that the PBB incentive will serve as inspiration for police personnel who are dedicated to their vocation.
SARO for PBB 2022 of School-Based Personnel Released
Good news for qualified school-based personnel in Region V, because the SARO for their PBB for the Fiscal Year 2022 has just been released, according to the Facebook page of Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) NCR Union.
Based on the SARO Listing on the DBM Website, the allotment for the Fiscal Year 2022 PBB has been released to DepEd Regional Office V. The PBB is a bonus given to teachers and school staff who performed well in their respective jobs.
Image Credit: dbm.gov.ph
Final Thoughts
If you are a government employee who is looking forward to a special bonus or allowance, you can check the DBM website for the latest SARO Listings. If you see your agency, school, or office in the list, rest assured that you’ll be getting your incentive soon!
Speaking of the government, college students who are looking for work during the school break can try applying with the Government Internship Program. This way, they can gain work experience while earning allowance at the same time!
Contact Information: DBM Central Office
If you have any questions about the SARO or other budget-related concerns, you can get in touch with the DBM Central office through the following contact details:
Address: Boncodin Hall, General Solano St., San Miguel, Manila
Telephone: 02-8657-3300
Email: osec@dbm.gov.ph
Website: https://www.dbm.gov.ph/
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