About 200 JOs to Lose Job Next Year

Following the omission of the P58-million lump sum allocation for their salaries, close to 200 Cebu City government job order (JO) workers may lose their jobs next year if the city would promote them as casuals.

The Cebu City Council last Saturday conducted a special session to deliberate on the city’s P13 billion budget for 2015.

During the said session, the council deleted the P58 million allocation for the salaries of JOs as requested by Mayor Mike Rama.

Councilor Margot Osmeña, the city’s finance committee head, said they made it sure that the P1.2 billion allocation is included to take care of the employees’ salaries and benefits. The allocation has an excess of P500 million to used for the payment of some JOs, or when they are hired as casuals.

Not Enough

City Budget officer Marieta Gumia explained that the P500 million excess in the Personal Service (PS) allocation is not enough to hire all 422 JOs as casual employees. She said that about 193 JOs may not be renewed next year if the city will hire the rest of them as casuals.

Councilor Gerardo Carillo however, agreed that the P500 million is not enough to hire 422 JOs as casuals that is why he insisted on the passage of the P58 million allocation of their salaries. He said the the City is giving them false hopes as it promised to promote them as casuals.

Job Order workers are hired to work for a particular jobs such as special programs of project. They don’t enjoy security of tenure and don’t receive bonuses and other benefits.