No Lakbay Aral trips for Cebu City Hall

OSMEÑA

THERE won’t be any Lakbay Aral or out-of-town study trips for City Hall department heads and employees this year after Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña ordered that seminars and trainings be done in-house.

“This administration adheres to the policy that government funds should be fully conserved. Hence, officials and employees are hereby directed to refrain from holding seminars, workshops, meetings and other similar activities outside Cebu City,” read Osmeña’s memo.

City Administrator Jovy Morellos said the city government has been cited by the Commission on Audit (COA) several times for excessive spending on City Hall trainings, seminars and meetings.

Morellos said the city government also has several facilities and venues which can be used for these events in order to save on expenses.

These include the Senior Citizens Building at the South Road Properties (SRP), the satellite city hall in the mountain barangay of Taptap; and the Social Hall and Rooftop both at the City Hall building.

The city government under then mayor Michael Rama previously spent P825,000 for 50 department heads and assistant heads for a Lakbay Aral in Metro Manila where they visited cities and towns to learn their best governance practices.

Marie Vella Abella, Human Resource Development Office (HRDO) chief, said she sees no problem with the mayor’s memo. “So long as the place is conducive for trainings (or seminars), there shouldn’t be any problems,” she said.

She said the HRDO conducts trainings at the Social Hall or the Senior Citizens building.

Choosing outside venues within Cebu City is also good for the city government, Abella said.