Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña is planning to improve services in City Hall by legitimizing fixers and creating a department of fixers to consolidate concerns and complaints of people transacting there.
Osmeña said he plans to lessen bureaucracy and streamline fixing services by creating a hotline, which will address and fix concerns of people.
He also said that this service is free.
Osmeña said he decided to legitimize fixers because fixing was something that was already “embedded in our culture.”
He also said that the numerous incidents of stealing at City Hall have prompted him to do this.
He, however, did not cite any specific incident.
CIPC system
Osmeña said that he wanted this department of fixers to have a similar system to that of the Cebu Investment Promotions Center (CIPC).
“You know that’s the way CIPC used to run. An investor comes in and they will fix it for you. Anything. Whatever your problem is, they will fix it for you. Is this attorney good? They’ll let you know. Is this contractor good? They’ll give you three to choose from. They make it user-friendly. City Hall will have something like that,” he said.
However, Osmeña assured that the new department will be regulated and controlled to safeguard people doing business at City Hall from any abuses.
He said the moment a complaint or concern is logged, the person who lodged it will immediately be registered and assigned a fixer so his or her case will be consolidated, developed and processed.
He also said that people transacting at City Hall will not be allowed to choose their fixers.
The “no wrong number policy” will also be implemented in the department, which means that all concerns will be addressed regardless of whether the one receiving the call is the officer in charge of the concern or not.
Like waiters
“They will be just like waiters. If City Hall were to run as a restaurant, people would complain because you go there and they would ask what you want.
Hamburger sandwich? Sorry, I’m not the waiter for hamburger sandwich. Who’s the waiter for hamburger sandwich? I don’t know. It’s the same in City Hall. Here, you call any office. They’ll say it’s not my job. You ask who’s in charge? The answer’s always I don’t know. Then they’ll keep redirecting you to person after person,” Osmeña said.
“What it should be like is this: you go to a restaurant and order hamburger? Sure! You want salad? Sure! Want lettuce, want bread, whatever. You want me to adjust the aircon?” he said.
“This is the attitude we are trying to instill in them, which is that of a waiter. You come. What’s your problem? Sure, we will fix it for you. In other words, I want them to be like waiters,” he said.
He also said that he has not yet decided on who will head the new department.
Flag-raising change
Osmeña also announced that he would do away with the every Monday morning flag-raising ceremony at City Hall and instead make it into a once-a-month activity.
He said this is a way to reduce spending at City Hall./Ateneo de Manila University Intern Maria Lelaina R. Cardeño
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