Mayor Michael Rama attends the celebration of Cebu City’s Charter Day on Friday, February 24, 2023. CDN Digital photo | Emmariel Ares
CEBU CITY, Philippines –Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama has promised that he will rehire all city hall employees hired under job-order (JO) contracts as long as they are not proven to be “kawatan” (thieves).
The mayor announced this on Friday, Feb. 24, 2023, as he delivered a message during Cebu City’s 86th Charter Anniversary celebration at the Plaza Sugbo grounds.
“Tanang job orders…basta dili lang magpakita nga kamo proven nga kawatan, I have directed all will be rehired,” he said.
Rama said that he talked about this plan with some of the department and office heads, including the city’s treasurer Mare Vae Reyes and his fiscal assistant on fiscal matters lawyer Jerone Castillo.
Lawyer Collin Rosell, executive secretary to the mayor, said the city hall currently has not less than 3,000 job order employees as of February 2023.
Rama also announced that if the city’s coffer will allow, he would be hiring additional employees at the city hall soon.
“Ikaduha, ayaw lang mo og kahibong pun-an nako og empleyado basta naay kwarta, pun-an nato. Ngano man? Malipayon jud ta nga buhi pa ta karon,” he added.
Such is a development at the ongoing rightsizing efforts at the city hall.
Last August 2022, or barely two months after Rama took his oath of office, he announced that he wanted to see a “substantially reduced human force” at the different offices at City Hall in the next six months.
This as he also aligned his plans with the “rightsizing” policy of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., as he expects his plan to also promote efficiency in the performance of the respective duties and functions of those who will remain at City Hall.
In October 2022, Rama re-hired city hall employees whose contracts were not renewed by the end of September 2022.
These employees were those who attended an interview at the Cebu City Sports Center in October 9 and those city hall workers who were truthful about their Covid immunization status.
Rama promised to rehire them if they will have themselves vaccinated against COVID-19, in support of the city’s COVID-19 vaccination program.
Four months after, or last Feb. 1, 2023, Rama announced his plan of implementing reorganization of the different offices and departments at the Cebu City Hall soon.
This was after he warned underperforming employees that they will not be tolerated and asked them to tender their resignations if they do not shape up.
/bmjo
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