UP System set for bonuses as DBM regularizes 179 UPM faculty posts

Marywin Julito

The University of the Philippines (UP) System has qualified for the Fiscal Year 2024 Performance-Based Bonus, while the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has approved the conversion of 179 part-time faculty positions into regular positions at UP Manila on October 9.

“Excellence is a collective effort. And when an institution performs, the people who make that performance possible deserve recognition,” DBM Acting Secretary Kim Robert C. De Leon said during his visit to UP Manila.

According to the DBM’s press release, eligible personnel across the UP System are expected to receive their bonuses before the end of 2026, recognizing their contributions to education, research, health care and university operations.

The DBM also approved the reclassification of five faculty positions at UP Manila to reflect their updated full-time status.

Regular posts, stronger faculty

De Leon said the conversion of the 179 positions is expected to provide greater employment stability for affected faculty members and strengthen UP Manila’s teaching workforce.

“If we want students to have a better future, we must also take better care of the people preparing them for that future,” De Leon added.

He added that educators responsible for preparing future doctors, nurses and other health professionals also deserve greater stability in their employment.

Bonuses for UP personnel

The performance-based bonus recognizes the collective contributions of professors, researchers, health care professionals, and administrative, technical and support personnel across the UP System.

De Leon said government employees whose work contributes to institutional performance deserve recognition for their efforts.

“Good performance in government should not only be expected. It should also be recognized,” he said.

Supporting health education

The announcements came during De Leon’s inspection of UP Manila’s medical and nursing simulation facilities.

The College of Nursing’s ₱45.8 million Skills and Simulation Laboratory features high-fidelity manikins and training rooms that can accommodate 40 people each, while the College of Medicine’s Surgical Knowledge Intensive Learning Laboratory supports procedural and surgical training for up to 100 people.

UP Manila Chancellor Dr. Michael Tee said government support strengthens the university’s education, research, and health care programs.

De Leon stressed that investments in modern facilities must be matched by support for educators and university personnel who help deliver quality education, and public services.