The 13th month pay is highly anticipated by employees each year as it represents a significant resource allocation or savings opportunity. Over a period of six months, Capstone-Intel Corporation conducted an analysis on the perception of Filipinos regarding this benefit.
Capstone-Intel is a high-impact research company that uses innovative research technologies, tools, and methods to convert data and information into breakthrough insights and actionable intelligence outputs. It is committed to helping its clients solve problems, find solutions, grow markets and constituencies, build reputations, navigate risks, manage crises, and be the country’s leading private research and intelligence agency.
Background
The 13th month pay is a mandatory benefit provided to employees. The law regarding this benefit was established through Presidential Decree No. 851, which was signed into law on December 16, 1975, by President Ferdinand Marcos.
This decree ensures that every employee in the country receives an extra month’s salary, regardless of their position or employment status. The purpose of the 13th month pay is to give employees a financial boost during the holiday season and to recognize their hard work and contributions to the company.
The calculation of the 13th month pay is relatively straightforward. It is equivalent to 1/12 of the total basic salary earned by an employee within a calendar year. This includes all salary components, such as basic pay, fixed allowances, and regular monetary benefits. However, it excludes overtime pay, night differential, and other similar additional compensation. The 13th month pay must be paid to employees no later than December 24th of each year, allowing them to have the funds for their holiday expenses and celebrations. It is important for employers to be aware of this legal requirement and to fulfill their obligations to their employees promptly.
Methodology
The study was conducted from June 22, 2023 to December 22, 2023. The research agency used its social listening tools to analyze publicly accessible Facebook pages for posts related to the keyword “13th month pay.” In this study, there’s no specific demographic information or personal data were collected or monitored during this study.
Reaction distribution
From Facebook, it was recorded that out of 701,281 reactions, 402,472 (57.4%) are Haha reactions, 190,650 (27.2%) Likes, 87,741 (12.5%) Love, 12,120 (1.7%) Wow, 6,018 (0.9%) Sad, and 2,280 (0.3%) Angry reactions.
Top posts
The following information presents the high engagement scores gathered from the Facebook pages of influencers and news agencies.
According to the ABS-CBN News post, it received a total of 35,555 Facebook reactions, with 57.50% (20,447) being Haha, 25.91% (9,212) Likes, 10.82% (3,848) Wow, 5.05% (1,797) Love, 0.67% (239) Sad, and 0.03% (12) Angry reactions.
The post with the highest reactions, amounting to 17,112, was from Kami.com.ph. It received 15,346 (89.68%) Haha, 1,554 (9.08%) Likes, 73 (0.43%) Wow, 66 (0.38%) Love, 66 (0.38%) Sad, and 7 (0.04%) Angry reactions.
The third post was from CFO PESO SENSE which generated a total of 11,761 reactions, consisting of 5,179 (5.05%) Likes, 5,070 (43.10%) Haha, 1,409 (11.98%) Love, 45 (0.38%) Wow, 44 (0.37%) Sad, and 14 (0.12%) Angry reactions.
The Facebook ‘haha’ reaction has become a popular way for users to express their amusement or lightheartedness towards a post. This reaction is often used to indicate that something is funny or not to be taken too seriously. Users may employ the ‘haha’ reaction when they find a post humorous, entertaining, or when they simply want to show their appreciation for the lighter side of things.
Also, the ‘haha’ reaction can also be interpreted as a form of sarcasm. Users may choose to use this reaction to express a sarcastic tone towards a post or comment that they find ironic, hypocritical, or in jest. An example of this is the ABS-CBN News post. even though the employees have not yet received their 13th month pay, numerous financial obligations have already amassed. Unfortunately, this situation has been met with ridicule from the public.
