Margot to axed JOs: Prove your worth

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City acting mayor Margarita “Margot” Osmeña said she can reconsider her decision on terminating 700 job order workers at City Hall if they can justify the need for their positions in different offices.

As of yesterday, Osmeña has not received requests from different departments and offices that were affected by the termination of contracts.

She said any one from the JOs or their respective department heads should explain the need for the job orders.

“As long as they can validate. Like I always say, it’s not a closed door but we have to bring this out because there are also some who are not needed anymore and this was all based on accomplishment report,” she said.

Her transition team found out that the city has at least 2,000 job order workers who are working, but some projects to which they were assigned were already completed several months ago.

If she has it her way, Osmeña said the public funds used to pay for the salaries of JOs can be used for other basic services of the city like the scholarship program.

She said the city government spends P68 million a year for the 700 JOs if they each get a minimum pay of P370 per day.

Osmeña said the City Council has even issued a resolution last year urging the executive department to give a list of JOs who will be hired and where they will be assigned.

But she lamented that it was only effective for few days and was not followed thereafter.

During a check, her transition team found out that a certain Margarita Silod under the City Administrator’s Office gets P1,200 salary per day which is charged to the Accelerated Social Amelioration Program.

Another employee, a certain Nonita Fernandez, gets P800 a day working under the City Accounting Office but is charged under Cebu City Resource Management and Development Center.

Osmeña said her objective as acting mayor is to “clean up the mess” in preparation for the turnover to the next administration come July 1.

On his official Facebook page, mayor-elect Tomas Osmeña defended the termination.

“Job order workers are supposed to be hired on a temporary basis to fulfill a temporary need of manpower, but many of these JOs have been there for years. Many do not do anything beyond collect their salaries,” Tomas’ post read.

Tomas said many of the JOs are “political hirings.”

Attorney Mary Ann Suson, chief of the Human Resource Department Office, said JOs are not under their department since they are not considered as city government employees.

“Actually, hiring and firing JOs is not through the Human Resource Development Office. Hiring and firing of JOs kay kutob ra sa ilahang office,” she said.

Based on HR records, there are approximately not more than 1,200 JOs enlisted in the city but Suson said their office’s sole participation is only doing a “head count” of the job order workers. —with Chelsea M.Malazarte (FREEMAN)