Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno has authorized the release of Additional Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) under the Judiciary Development Fund (JDF) for April 2008 as an additional benefit to qualified court officials and personnel.

Pursuant to Memorandum Order No. 20-2008, signed on May 7, 2008, Chief Justice Puno granted the release of the JDF-COLA to qualified Court personnel in amounts ranging from PhP2,700 to PhP2,900, depending on the employee’s salary grade.

Qualified employees who have rendered at least six months of service as of April 1, 2008, and who are still in service as of April 30, 2008, shall be entitled to the full amount of the benefit.  Proportionate rates of the benefit shall be given to those employees who have rendered less than six months in service as of the cut-off date.

The JDF-COLA was released by the Chief Justice pursuant to the authority vested in him by PD 1949.  It comes from the eighty per centum (80%) allotted for the purpose from the income of the JDF from April 1 to 30, 2008.