The World Briefly
February 15, 2023A Valentine Gesture
Philippines
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A mayor in the Philippines handed out extra pay to single employees during Valentine’s Day on Tuesday, in a show of gratitude for the extra hours they work and to say that “someone loves them,” Agence France Presse reported.
Employees at General Luna town hall in Quezon province will receive three times their usual daily wage if they can prove they have been single for more than five years, according to Mayor Matt Florido.
Out of the 289 employees, 37 qualified for the extra compensation after passing a stringent vetting process to confirm their single status, including the requirement to report when they were last in a relationship and why they are still single.
Florido told AFP that he understands what single folks “are going through,” being a lifelong bachelor himself.
He is paying the $511 in extra wages out of his own pocket, noting that the money is also an acknowledgment of the pressures placed on single employees to work extra hours when necessary.
It is the third year in a row that the mayor has handed out extra payments to single staff, noting that married employees or those in relationships have not objected to their colleagues getting bonus pay.
“Maybe they understand what the single people are going through,” Florido said.
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