Did everyone get their 13th month pay already? If not, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is reminding employers to release it on or before 24 December.

In an interview with DZRH, DOLE Director Alvin Curada emphasized that while bonuses are a welcome gesture, the 13th month pay is a legal requirement under Presidential Decree 851, and employers are obliged to comply. “Ang nire-require ng batas ay 13th month pay,” he said.

Curada encouraged employers to consider giving the benefit earlier rather than waiting until the last permissible date. Ideally, he said, the pay could be split in halves — half in June, half in December — or even distributed quarterly or monthly, allowing workers to use it for their holiday needs instead of waiting until the end of the year.

Even companies affected by calamities or temporary closures are still required to provide proportionate 13th month pay, and domestic workers — including kasambahays and helpers — are entitled to the same benefit, computed from their total basic salary for the year.

He also reminded employers that DOLE offers conciliation and mediation services to assist businesses facing financial difficulties.