City’s laid-off EWs report for work as volunteers
PUBLIC SERVICE UNDER REENACTED BUDGET
IF the members of the sanggunian panlungsod, who are assured of receiving their salaries, can think of withholding approval of the 2015 annual budget of the city, majority of the emergency workers (EW) laid off by the reenacted budget are showing them what public service is all about – they continue to report for work even with no assurance that they will be paid.
Mayor Belen Fernandez said she is humbled by the decision of the EWs to continue to report as volunteers since the first working day of the year even knowing that there is no certainty about the passage of the 2015 budget that will guarantee them payment of their salaries.
She said she was informed of the situation by the department heads last week and the only thing left to continue the complete delivery of basic services to the city is the launching of the various programs that need to be funded by the 2015 budget.
Budget Officer de Guzman confirmed to newsmen that the city is now operating on a reenacted budget.
Under the reenacted budget, only the regular employees are assured of receiving their salaries. The EWs or Job Order Employees (JOEs) are not in the regular plantilla and only a budget item in the annual budget covers their salaries.
APPEAL
Fernandez said she will continue to appeal to the members of the city council to “open their minds, open their hearts” for the welfare of the Dagupeños that will be unduly affected by their continued refusal to approve the proposed 2015 city budget amounting to P691 million.
“I was already assured by Councilors Maybelyn Fernandez. Jesus Canto, Jeslito Seen, Jose Netu Tamayo and Lino Fernandez they will support the passage of the budget. I also believe Councilors Karlos Reyna, Alfie Fernandez, Marvin Fabian and those in the minority understand the needs of the city and its people,” she said.
Meanwhile, the mayor said contingency measures are being put in place in case the city will continue to operate with a reenacted budget over a long period.
City Administrator Farah Decano said these measures include belt- tightening and double-tasking and even multi-tasking for regular employees.
At the same time, Councilor Jeslito Seen, chairman on appropriations and finance of the city council, said he had written to the chair of the committee on rules, Councilor Maybelyn Fernandez, last January 6 for the inclusion of the committee report on the annual budget in the agenda in the next council session on January 12.
However, under the rules of the SP, it will take three-fourth vote of all the 11 members of the SP for a measure to be included in the agenda and another three-fourth vote to pass it.
DENIALS
Meanwhile, Councilor Alfie Fernandez belied a report of The PUNCH that the councilors want to include their Priority Assistance Fund (PDAF) of P1.8 million each, as the reason for withholding action on the budget. He said they merely want the budget for the SP members’ projects that was taken away from them by the executive last year, restored.
However, Mayor Fernandez, denied the councilors’ claim. She said it was the councilors who suggested that the project funds be given wholly to the executive in order to facilitate implementation of projects. “To their credit, it was all in the spirit of transparency,” she said.
“Apparently, their position has changed,” the mayor intoned.
REPERCUSSIONS
City Health Officer Leonard Carbonell warned that the city stands to lose a P10 million grant from the European Union for the establishment of a diagnostic center if the city fails to put up its counterpart that includes the purchase of ECG, X-ray and ultra-sound machine and to hire doctors, nurses and medical technologists.
The city also needs to put up a 40 percent counterpart to the P16 million fund that will be made available soon under the Participatory Budgeting Process (PBP) for the construction of an evacuation center in barangay Salapingao.
The Waste Management Division (WMD) is manned by 11 emergency workers that have taken over sweeping, driving the “garongs” and the garbage trucks daily since regular employees are already aged 40-50 years old.
The City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) has 17 EWs that man the operations 24/7 and assigned under Project BELEN 16911. Some of the EWs have been trained for Water Search and Rescue (WASAR).
Most employees assigned to the City Assistance Service Team (CAST) and the city market division are EWS. (Leonardo Micua)
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