Cebu City Councilor Harold Go has made an urgent appeal to business establishments across the city, requesting the early release of the 13th month pay for employees grappling with the aftermath of Typhoon Tino.
An Appeal for Compassion and Action
In a Facebook post published on Friday, November 7, 2025, Councilor Go, who chairs the committee on business and urban planning, called on business owners to show compassion. He urged them to advance the distribution of the mandatory year-end bonus to provide immediate financial relief to workers affected by the recent calamity.
Councilor Go emphasized the need for proper coordination with the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) to ensure the initiative is implemented correctly and in full compliance with official guidelines. He confirmed that he has been actively coordinating with several companies to facilitate this process.
Positive Response from Major Companies
The appeal quickly gained traction. Cebu Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña announced that several major Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) firms have responded positively to the call for assistance.
In his own social media update, Osmeña confirmed that Accenture and Conduent have agreed to advance their employees' 13th month pay and are already processing the payments. He also noted that Synchrony and Concentrix are taking similar action to support their workforce.
Vice Mayor Osmeña stated, "Through Councilor Harold Go, we are in talks with other BPOs and businesses for them to follow suit. Hopefully, this will give the workers a little extra breathing room." He also took a moment to acknowledge that the idea for the advanced payment originally came from BPO employees themselves.
Going Above and Beyond: Extraordinary Corporate Support
Several companies were commended for providing support that went far beyond the early release of the 13th month pay. Their extraordinary efforts included:
- Synchrony assisted in rescuing its workers and their families, provided temporary housing at the Waterfront Hotel, offered financial aid for home repairs, and even chartered a plane to deliver care packages to Cebu.
- Conduent is providing free transportation and care packages for affected employees and their families.
- TechMahindra is offering free meals and transportation to its staff.
Osmeña also highlighted that lessons learned from past disasters, such as the earthquake, have been successfully implemented, leading to better preparedness during Typhoon Tino. He expressed his gratitude to the companies that went the extra mile and encouraged others to emulate their example, reinforcing that Dole compliance is being actively monitored throughout the recovery period.
