Archival blames delayed JO reports for salary woes

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival blamed delays in the release of salaries of job order (JO) employees on the late submission of required payroll documents, stressing that the city government has sufficient funds to cover their wages.

“Wala ta magkulang… ang fault naa gyud sa sinugdanan,” Archival told reporters yesterday after the Brigada Eskwela activity in Cambinocot.

Archival explained that while the city’s budget remains intact, delays occur because required paperwork is not completed and submitted on time.

“Sa tinuod lang ako ning gitan-aw unsay problema. Daghan kaayong factors. Ang mga tawo nga naa, kadaghanan mga JO… kinahanglan magbuhat silag report. Ang kadaghanan sa mga tawo, dili magbuhat ug report, unya na maghimo sa petsa 15 or sa 30. The moment maghimo na, let’s say nay 100 ka tawo, ma-delay ang usa, huwaton man na,” he said.

The mayor emphasized that the city’s financial offices should not be blamed for the delays.

“Dili na fault sa atong mga tawo nga naa sa mga departments, di na fault sa budget kay naa na nay budget, di na fault sa accounting, dili na fault sa atong treasury. Ang fault naa gyud na sa sinugdanan… gikan gyud sa ilang kaugalingon nga mga tawo then going sa mga tawo nga nag-follow-up,” Archival declared.

He added that salaries are immediately released once all required documents are complete.

“Wala ta magkulang sa tinuod lang… nay mga reklamo sa uban, nay kuwangan whatever, naa na ang budget. The moment the papers are complete, mahatag man gyud na nato,” he assured.

Archival said reforms are already being introduced to minimize future delays.

“Ang ako karon, akong himuon nga by the second half, naa man ganiy ma-delay, gamay ra. Naghimo na tag template sa tanang empleyado nga ginganlan og JO nga unsay ilang himuon kada adlaw aside from unsay trabaho nila,” he explained.

He pointed out that many JO employees lack even basic tools for documentation.

“Sayunan kag maghimo ka, muhimo kang mga reports for 30 days unya wa gani silay notebook,” Archival remarked, adding that the city government is now requiring daily task records.

Archival assured employees that the city government is committed to fixing the system.

“Mao na giawhag nako sila, we the city gov’t. ato gyud ng gipaninguha… atong seguruhon nga within the next few months ang mga sweldo ato ng maasikaso. But sugod sa ila dinha gyud maggikan ang paninguha,” he said.

Salary delays have long plagued Cebu City Hall, with complaints surfacing across different administrations.

Last week, several department heads also submitted written explanations to the City Council regarding delays in the submission of project proposals, particularly those involving JO employees, underscoring the broader challenge of streamlining bureaucratic processes.

Archival said he hopes to finally break the cycle of inefficiency, noting that the reforms now being rolled out are designed to ensure accountability at every level. — (FREEMAN)