Gov’t needs to create more plantilla positions
While the government urges private companies to grant regularization to their employees, it may not be able to set the example easily.
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) would need to create more plantilla positions in government agencies to end the contractual practices of employees.
Luchel Taniza, Information Officer of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE 7), said that top government officials should thoroughly discuss the concerns of contractual employees in the public service.
She said that only the DBM can create new regular positions since they allocate the budget for the compensation of regular employees.
“Our coverage is the private sector. We don’t have jurisdiction over government agencies. It’s actually the Civil Service. Even here sa DOLE we also have job orders. Pero wala tay mahimo gyud ana kay di man na amoang mandate (But we cannot do anything about it because that’s not our mandate),” said Taniza.
She said if the DBM will not open more positions, it would be very difficult to assure regularization of all government employees.
For his part, Cebu Provincial Human Resources Officer Bonifer Nacorda also urged the DBM to review national policies concerning public employment, especially on the available positions in government offices.
Nacorda said that the limitation on plantilla positions is a great challenge for local government units (LGUs) like Cebu, that has a very wide scope.
Cebu province manages 16 provincial and district hospitals, a jail facility, a museum and a bus terminal, on top of its executive and legislative offices.
At present the Capitol employs 3,736 personnel to man these offices.
Of this number, 2,133 are Job Order (JO) employees, 602 are casual, while only 1,001 are regular employees.
“I think the security of tenure of the workers should be protected both in the public and private sectors,” said Nacorda.
Regular and casual employees enjoy full employer-employee relationship and complete statutory benefits but the fate of JO employees in government service is always uncertain as they are not considered government employees.
However, Nacorda said that they have already initiated voluntary contributions for JO employees to enjoy their Social Security, PhilHealth and Home Development Mutual Fund (HDMF). /With Correspondent Jessa Mae O. Sotto
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