Council OKs P1.4M for hiring of 95 JOs

The Cebu City Council has authorized the City Budget Officer to augment funds amounting to P1. 4 million to hire job order (JO) employees that would compose the Quick Response Team (QRT).

“The said amount will be used to augment fund to cover salaries for Job Order personnel for the (QRT) who were tasked for the declogging and desilting of drainage for the month of November and December 2017,” Councilor Jerry Guardo said in his resolution.

Guardo sponsored the measure after City Engineer Josefa Ylanan sent a letter last Oct. 27 requesting for an augmentation of fund to hire additional manpower to cope with the bulk of requests to clear and address the city's drainage problem.

The amount is intended to hire at least 95 JO employees who will work as city hall employees for 44 days. They will be paid P340 a day.

Last Oct. 24, Mayor Tomas Osmeña has approved in principle Guardo's proposal to create a QRT for the south and north districts of the city.

However, Guardo's other resolution on maintenance and flood control projects that will be performed by the newly hired JOs will be subject for approval tomorrow, the city council's regular session.

This, after Guardo failed to provide a detailed project proposal and the other city council members raised some concerns on the matter.

The other project would include the construction of drainage system in various barangays, repair of existing drainage line and manhole in various city streets, fabrication of canal and manhole concrete cover, declogging or desilting of drainage system, and cleaning of creeks.

Barug Team Rama Councilor Jose Daluz III asked where specifically these projects will be implemented so that it's easier for them to monitor future developments.

“If this is the quick response team, are they on call? In hiring JOs, it should be a specific job, maintenance work or activity is a regular activity of the city, I don't think JO should be assigned there, naa na bay specific areas where they were be assigned so that we will know the result after 44 days?” Daluz said.

Guardo said it will be the Department of Engineering and Public Works (DEPW) which would identify where these projects will be implemented.

As of press time, Guardo said the DEPW has not yet submitted the list where the projects will be implemented.

Councilor Pastor “Jun” Alcover Jr. concurs with Daluz.

“QRT, parang quick response, dunay problema, adto sila. Construction dili mana quick response. We would like to know where are these barangays,” he said.

Guardo's ally, Councilor Alvin Arcilla, said the construction of drainage will be done also upon request of the barangays.

“Actually we have now the materials for drainage, riprapping…During the discussion of DEPW, they don't have personnel to rehab the drainage and do the riprapping. As of now they have the materials, the sand, gravels, and cement but they don't have personnel. That is why we are hiring,” Arcilla said.