280 city day care workers may lose jobs

CEBU, Philippines - At least 280 day care workers in Cebu City may lose their jobs come December if Mayor Tomas Osmeña will heed the recommendation of Councilor Joy Augustus Young to have them replaced.

The workers were hired on a job order capacity.

"Kato sila, politika pag-hire so dili mawala ang politika, it's useless. Mao na ako giingnan si Tommy nga mag-hire ta Tom… wa nay labot ang barangay unya kung taga-Cebu City gani ka, dili ka pwede magtudlo sa barangay kung diin ka gikan so let's say, taga-Apas ka, you will be teaching the neighboring barangays," Young said.

He alleged that the day care workers allegedly participated in partisan politics.

"Kada hitabo inig barangay election, kanang mga day care workers ilisan. We trained them, niya ilisan mao nang napungot ko… gi-warningan nako sila nga dili ko gusto mag-apil apil sa politika… kung pangampanyahon mo, okay ra basta ayaw lang saba kaayo," he added.

Young said he recommended further that the new teachers the city will hire must be college graduates and will then be supervised by the Department of Education (DepEd).

Osmeña was not available for comment yesterday.

A day care teacher who requested anonymity told The Freeman it was last Friday when Young met them and informed them about the impending development.

"Pagpaminaw namo, niana man siya (Young), kutob nalang daw mi until December," the source said.

"Unya niana pud siya, Ma'am, nga kanang among endorsement, especially sa mga barangay nga nag-Rama, dili sad siya sure nga kaming day care workers ma-renew mi… i-kuan pa man kuno na sa babaw ma'am… naa man kunoy laing screening," the source said.

"Bisan pa kuno'g kinsa ang ni-pirma sa amo endorsement, ma-identify ka nga inyong barangay nag-Rama, dili kuno siya sure. Nabalaka pud ko ma'am uy kay gawas nako, ang uban nako mao ra poy gisaligan, maam… murag nalain gyud mi niya tanan ma'am," the source added.

Asked to comment, Young said, "Well, your guess is as good as mine. What do you think kung bag-o ang kapitan, hire-ron silag balik? O, diba mao nang gikasuk-an nako sila. Kung pangampanya mo, pangampanya mo hilom lang ayaw pangaway. Ngano ang uban mangaway man?"

"I want the day care worker out of politics aron dili maputol ba and kung mogasto tag training, dili masayang ba," he added.

Meanwhile, Councilor Hanz Abella, chairperson of the City Council's committee on education, science and technology, said, "Ang amo karun, amo pana siyang gitan-aw, amo panang i-verify. Kanang mga day care workers dili mana madali-dali og katangtang, naa man gyud nay process."

Around 68 barangays are allied with Team Rama.   (FREEMAN)