Delayed honoraria

The Cebu City Council wants the executive department to expedite the release of the honorarium of the barangay workers.

In a privilege speech during their regular session yesterday, Councilor Joel Garganera lamented that the tanods, barangay health workers, barangay environmental officers, loaders and other personnel have not received their honorarium from the City Government for six months.

It covers services rendered since July to December last year.

The delay on the release of their honorarium, Garganera said, was raised by the barangay workers when Councilor Jose Daluz III called for a barangay consultation on the villages’ risk reduction efforts, among others.

After Garganera’s speech, Councilor Margarita Osmeña said complaints on the delay of the worker’s honorarium have also reached her office.

She said some barangays re- ceived the City’s honorarium, while some did not because the list of workers submitted did not match with the master list.

In the past, she also said that the releasing of the honorarium was delayed for six months.

“This has nothing to do with politics. Some have received because they complied (with the requirements),” she said.

Councilor Philip Zafra then made a corollary motion calling to a meeting the budget officer, city accountant and city treasurer, together with the Association of Barangay Councils, where he is the president, to address the matter.

Osmeña, for her part, directed the treasurer and accounting offices to designate a person to handle the barangay worker’s honorarium, while Councilor Hanz Abella wants the requirements needed for the release of the honorarium be simplified.

Councilor Raymond Garcia asked the executive department to submit to the council the list of barangays whose honorarium for workers were already released.