Village chiefs question Osmeña memo

CEBU, Philippines — Some Cebu City barangay captains used their third quarterly assembly yesterday to question a mayor’s memorandum ordering barangays to submit their tanods’ weekly accomplishment reports or they would lose their honoraria.

During the assembly, the village chiefs grilled Garry Lao, head of Cebu City Office on Substance Abuse Prevention, regarding Mayor Tomas Osmeña’s order.

Lao was among the invited guests at the quarterly assembly of the Association of Barangay Councils-Cebu City Chapter at the Bayfront Hotel yesterday.

“Okay ni nga pamaagi ang pangayo og report sa mga tanods kay at least mahibaw-an naay trabaho sila. Pero nganong hangtod karon mangayo og weekly report pero naa pay mga barangays nga wala gihapon sweldo ilang mga tanod?” said Apas Barangay Captain Ramil Ayuman.

Ayuman, vice president of ABC, said there are barangay workers who have not received their honoraria from the city government for January to June this year.

He criticized the city government’s very strict implementation of the order, which resulted in the cancellation of the honoraria of tanods and other workers of three barangays.

Lahug Barangay Captain Jovito Taborada said his barangay tanods are among the workers who have not received their honoraria for the first half of the year.

More recently, some 60 tanods and lupong tagapamayapa of Mambaling, Paril, and Poblacion Pardo will not receive their honoraria for the month of August for their failure to submit their accomplishment reports.

“Active kaayo maningil og accomplishment report pero wala pay sweldo gikan January to June. Hangyo nako nga hangyoa pod ang mayor nga papaspasan ang proseso,” Ayuman told Lao.

Another concern raised by the barangay captains is the capacity of the barangay tanods to do their report.

In Barangays San Jose and Tinago, for example, majority of the barangay tanods do not know how to write and make a report.

ABC President Phillip Zafra also brought up the difficulty of some barangays in the mountain areas to seek the signature of the police chief assigned at their places.

Zafra said COSAP should inform all police stations in the city to have someone deployed in the barangays to validate the accomplishment reports submitted by the barangay and to affix their signatures.

He said the barangay should be informed of the requirements needed to get the honoraria of the barangay workers who are continuously working despite the delay of their honoraria.

Zafra requested Lao to issue a memorandum that contains all the requirements and prerequisites for the submission of the weekly report.

Lao, for his part, explained to the barangay officials that he was just implementing the memo issued by the mayor. He promised to relay the barangays’ concerns to the mayor.

As for tanods who are unable to make the report, Lao said they can get assistance from the barangay secretaries.

Lao said he will inform the mayor on the suggestions of the barangay officials. (FREEMAN)