MANILA, Philippines -  Malacañang admitted Wednesday that a P7 billion budget for the Christmas bonuses of national government workers was slightly delayed but will already be released this week.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said the Department of Budget and Management has already approved the release of the P7 billion budget on Tuesday as part of the government's performance enhancement incentive program.

"They may receive it anytime between today or before Christmas...The funds are already available. [The DBM] just said that if they are able to coordinate with the banks today up to tomorrow, they should be able to get this out," Ermita told reporters. 

Ermita said the amount of paperwork that the DBM has to finish this December might have contributed to the delay. "You have to consider - at the end of the year, the DBM has to look into the fiscal situation of the government. Budgeting is the management of scarce resources therefore it is important that DBM should do its job to ensure that the resources available are properly allocated," he said.

He said the delay could be a good thing "since the workers might spend it all this Christmas."

Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya earlier said all national government workers will get an additional P7,000 each as Christmas bonus starting as early December 17.

He said the DBM allocated a P7 billion budget for almost a million government employees, which  will be sourced from the unused funds of various government agencies. He added that state workers could get an additional P3,000 bonus depending on the savings of their government agency.

Those who will receive the cash gifts will be permanent, casual and contractual employees of the national government. Employees on a job order basis such as consultants and Pulis OYSTER (Out-of-School Youth Serving Towards Economic Recovery) will not get a Christmas bonus.

The budget secretary said government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs) will have to get the P7,000 cash gifts from their own funds. He said local governments must seek authority from the DBM before giving bonuses to their employees.

Last year, the government granted P10,000 as additional Christmas bonus to all state workers.