‘Follow conservation laws’

The Cebu City Cultural and Historical Affairs Commission (CHAC) en masse is urging the Cebu Provincial Government to heed existing conservation laws given the proposed construction of a P1.3-billion Resource Center at the Capitol compound.

The proposed construction of the controversial 20-story building was referred to the CHAC for comments and recommendations since the Capitol compound is situated within the jurisdiction of Cebu City.

“(Therefore,) in mass motion by the members of the CHAC, be it as it is hereby resolved to strongly urge the proponents of the 20-story Provincial Government Resource Center Building to adhere to existing heritage conservation laws prior to the rejoinder of this Body for approval of its construction,” reads a portion of the resolution approved last Jan. 7.

A copy of the resolution was submitted to Gov. Hilario Davide III.

As this developed, all is fair in love and war at the Cebu Provincial Capitol.

A matter of “common sense” was how Davide described the non-renewal of the contracts of 17 job order (JO) workers assigned to the Provincial Board (PB) members who didn’t favor a measure giving him authority for the construction of the resource center.

“Kaning mga JO gud, pakapin na lang man ni sa ilang 11 nga organic staff gyud. Gani, ang pundo ani, ang pagsweldo is under the Office of the Governor. It’s just common sense. Mo-sweldo ang Kapitolyo aning mga JO nila nga dili gani sympathetic, will not be working for us, but for their side. Sila mismo, they know this fact (These JOs, they’re just additions to their 11 organic staff. In fact, their salary comes from the Office of the Governor... Why should the Capitol pay them when they’re not even sympathetic... ),” Davide said in a news conference last Monday, Jan. 14.

Those who opposed the measure were PB Members Sun Shimura, Raul Bacaltos, Edsel Galeos, Victoria Corominas-Toribio, Yolanda Daan and Alex Binghay.

PB members who approved the measure were Miguel Antonio Magpale, Celestino Martinez III, Jerome Librando, Jose Mari Salvador, Horacio Franco, Jude Thaddeus Sybico, Earl Tidy Oyas and Jerico Rubio.

PB Members Christopher Baricuatro, Glenn Bercede and Jovito Thadeo Ouano abstained.

Earlier, Provincial Human Resource Management Offce (PHRMO) Head Bonifer Nacorda said there was nothing political in the non-renewal of the contracts of the JO workers starting Jan. 1.

Nacorda explained that the contracts of the JO workers had ended, and they planned to use the funds for their hiring to open new important positions in the provincial and district hospitals since the thrust of the Davide administration is geared toward the improvement of health services.

Nacorda added that each PB member is assigned 11 organic personnel.

But due to the various projects assigned to each PB member, job order workers were provided to the members for temporary assistance whose salaries were funded by the Provincial Administrator’s Office.

Davide, in his news conference, stood pat that since he assumed office in 2013, he has been “very liberal and accommodating” with the requests of the PB members.

But the changes in political alignment at the Capitol may have put a strain in their relationship.