Mayor gives singles extra pay

A life-long bachelor mayor in the Philippines has declared to give single staff extra pay yesterday for Valentine's Day, to show gratitude for the extra hours they work and show that "someone loves them". Lonely hearts at General Luna town hall in Quezon province were set to receive three times their normal daily wage if they have been single for more than five years, Mayor Matt Florido told AFP. Other footloose and fancy-free staff will get double pay -- or the option to take a paid day off. "I know what they're going through today, I feel for them," said Florido, 42, who says he has been single "since birth". "On Valentine's Day no one will give them chocolates, flowers... so we thought of giving them this kind of incentive so they can also feel someone cares for them, someone loves them." It is the third year in a row that Florido has handed out bonus payments to singletons in local government. Of the 289 town hall employees, 37 qualified for the compensation after passing a stringent vetting process to confirm their claimed single status. Eligible staff were asked questions about when they were last in a relationship, the reasons they broke up, and why they are still single.