Rama: 1 sack of rice for hardworking rank and file employees

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama announced on Jan. 22 that Cebu City Hall employees who worked hard in the preparations for the Sinulog sa Sugbo Philippines 2024 will receive a sack of rice. | Photo courtesy of Sinulog Foundation Inc.

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama will give a sack of rice to City Hall employees who worked hard for the success of the recent Sinulog.

Rama made this pronouncement during his speech in the awarding ceremony of Sinulog 2024 held on Monday, Jan. 22, at the South Road Properties (SRP).

“Those who have been working very, very hard, cleaning, making Cebu from the time we started preparing last Thursday until this morning…working, working, never stop working, making Cebu City clean as much as possible, we will be giving them one sack of rice,” Rama said in his speech.

The one sack of rice will be given to the rank and file employees or those who are members under the different departments of the local government, he said.

READ: Cebu’s Sinulog among top 3 festivals in Asia

Meanwhile, Rama said that the department heads will be exempted from the said incentive.

He also asked the council to approve the needed budget to purchase the sacks of rice.

“I wish the council would not wish to be bringing out a contrary position on this matter,” Rama said.

“If money will not be available, I will make [it available] so that money will be available to give to those who have worked too hard from the time Thursday of the novena (Jan. 11),” Rama added.

‘Deserve to be given’

In a separate interview with Councilor Noel Wenceslao who chairs the council’s Committee on Budget and Finance, he supported Rama’s decision.

Wenceslao acknowledged that there have been a lot of volunteers and people working in the preparation for the Sinulog 2024.

He said that he agrees with Rama’s plan because the employees deserve the reward for working hard.

“I think they deserve to be given,” Wenceslao said.

However, the councilor noted that they would still check where they could get a budget for it.

“Wa pa man ta kahibaw’g pila kabuok volunteers nga gikinahanglan [tagaan] so wa pata kahibaw’g pila gyu’y exact amount nga atong kinahanglan but we have many budgetary appropriations nga pwede nga ma chart nato didto,” he said.

Resolution from Rama

Moreover, he said for Rama’s request to be possible, it would need a resolution to be approved by the council.

In the resolution, he said that Rama has to provide the allocated amount.

Then after, he said that the budget office will make a certification for the available budget appropriation.

Moreover, it would also need a certificate of the availability of funds from the city treasurer.

Once the necessary documents are completed, it will be presented to the council, and once the council approves it, the process of the procurement for the rice will then proceed.

“For me, pwede ra gyud ko mo-sponsor ana because I know how…kakapoy sa atong mga volunteers especially nga mga empleyado nato for the preparation and they deserve to be given,” he added.

He said that they would also check if there are still remaining balance from the budget allocated for the Sinulog, so they could check for the possibility of getting the budget for the sacks of rice from there.

As of writing, Wenceslao said that he is yet to determine the balance from the Sinulog 2024 budget.

He also said that they will also determine the price of the sack of rice the city will be giving.

The Cebu City government has allocated P80 million for the activities covering Sinulog 2024.

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