Some non-renewed Cebu City hall employees rehired on-the-spot

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama talks with Cebu City hall employees on the ongoing evaluation for their performance and renewal of contracts after the early morning flag ceremony on Monday, October 10, 2022. | Photo courtesy of Ruel Rosello/Cebu City Public Information Office

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Some employees at Cebu City Hall, whose contracts were not renewed at the end of September, were given another chance to be reconsidered for employment.

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, after the flag-raising ceremony at the city hall grounds on Monday, October 10, 2022, gathered city hall employees who attended the interview at the Cebu City Sports Center last Sunday, October 9 and informed them that they will be reconsidered for hiring.

“Ako mo-reconsider man gyud ko kay dili ko ganahan nga mobiya despite our right-sizing efforts,” Rama said.

The Cebu City Public Information Office streamed live the flag ceremony and the mayor’s announcement on Monday on its official Facebook page, Cebu City News and Information.

Additionally, the mayor assembled city hall employees who had not received their COVID-19 vaccination. The mayor rewarded those who came forward and were truthful about their immunization status by promising to rehire them.

“Kuhaa ni ilang ngan, today they will be rehired. Bahala nag unsay problema ninyo total naa pay January,” he said.

“Pabakuna na mo ha kay rehired na gud mo. Unya og di gani mo dawaton sa inyong departamento, ari mo sa akong opisina,” Rama added.

Cebu City Administrator Suzanne Ardosa said that a total of 1,200 employees had their contracts non-renewed last month.

She, however, promised to expedite the creation of appointment letters for those employees who were reconsidered.

“Ang among role na sad is ang pagsiguro nga mahimoan og appointment ang kadtong kadaghanan nga ma reconsider kay umaabot ra ba ang giingon ni sir nga bonus aron masiguro lang sad nga di ma interrupted ang service ug atong i-follow up karon ang mga names aron i-turn over sa HR,” she announced on Monday.

Ardosa said the evaluation is still ongoing and all records of employees, including records of their absences, tardiness, and years of service, among others have already been turned over by their respective department heads to the Human Resource and Development Office (HR) of the city hall.

The mayor previously stated that he is committed to his administration’s goal of having a “substantially reduced human force” at City Hall’s various departments and offices.

This is also following the “rightsizing” policy of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.

Rama recalled that during his term as mayor in 2012, there were only 5,000 employees in the city hall.

“Pila atong empleyado karon? 10,000. Rightsize na? Dili. Mao nay tinuod. Mao na gipa organize nako. Hala tan-awa ang tinibuk-ang 10,000 kay daghan kaayo kong nadunggan wala ni sila makit-i,” the mayor said noting that some city hall employees are not even taking their jobs at city hall seriously.

Lawyer Collin Rosell, executive secretary of the mayor, for his part, assured that the city has tapped the Community Livelihood Assistance Program (CLAP) and non-government organizations to provide job opportunities for those employees who will not have their contracts at city hall renewed.

/bmjo