200 CH workers may lose jobs next year

Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella shares his thoughts with councilors during a break in last Saturday’s special session of the Cebu City Council.
(CDN PHOTO/DORIS C. BONGCAC)

Close to 200 job order (JO) workers of the Cebu City government risk losing their employment next year.

This came about after the City Council deleted the P58-million lump sum allocation which Mayor Michael Rama requested for their salaries.

Over a hundred JOs flocked to the legislative building session hall yesterday morning to listen to the City Council deliberation where the city’s P13.4 billion budget was passed.

They were made to sign an attendance sheet upon entry to the session hall.

“Pasudla lang na sila bisan ug mag standing position lang ang uban (Let them in, even if others will have to stand),” was Vice Mayor Edgar Labella’s instruction to the City Council secretariat.

Excess

Councilor Margot Osmeña, the City Council’s budget committee head, said they made sure that they included a P1.2 billion allocation to take care of employees’ salaries and benefits.

The allocation has an excess of P500 million which the city could use in paying some of its JOs or promote them as casual employees.

Since JOs are hired to work on particular programs and projects of the city, they don’t have security of tenure and don’t get bonuses and other benefits, unlike regular and casual workers.

“The City Council believes that you deserve more,” Osmeña said.

However, Councilor Gerardo Carillo said the P500 million will not be enough to hire 422 JOs as casual employees.

False hope

He insisted on the passage of the P58 million allocation for their salaries.

“Ang uban ana nila ma wad-an gyud ug trabaho (some of them will lose their jobs). It’s a pity because we are giving them false hopes to become casuals,” Carillo said.

City Budget Officer Marieta Gumia agreed that the P500 million excess in the PS allocation is not enough to hire all of the 422 JOs as casual workers. About 193 JOs may no longer be renewed next year if they hire the rest as casuals, she added.

Gumia said some JOs are employed under the office where they render service.

Political alliances

But there are some who were hired to work on particular programs and projects, thus the need for the lump sum appropriation.
Carillo said the hiring of personnel is covered by the 45 percent Personal Service (PS) limitation.

Councilor Eugenio Gabuya defended Osmeña, saying that since JOs don’t have security of tenure, they could be terminated anytime especially because of their political alliances.

Bando Osmeña – Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK) allies in the Council have been complaining about the hiring of JOs even in the absence of allocation.

There were also instances where the executive would hire JOs and make them work even in the absence of a City Council-approved employment contract.

Their contracts were presented to the Council only after the lapse of their employment period.