300 JO workers won’t be paid as Archival stands firm on ‘no appointment, no salary’ policy

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CEBU CITY Mayor Nestor Archival Sr. made it clear that “no appointment, no salary.”

With this, over 300 job order (JO) workers who reported for duty from January to June 2025 won’t be paid because they lacked official appointments signed by then-Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia.

“Kung wala gani silay appointment from January to June, dili gyud na sila ma-sweldohan,” Archival said on Thursday, July 17.

“Ang problema, wala man moy appointment. Dili man ko maka-sign in behalf sa mayor kay na-mayor ko July 1 naman,” he added

Archival stressed that retroactive compensation is not possible under the law.

JO personnel must have detailed program descriptions and contracts approved by the appointing authority. Without these, there is no legal basis to disburse salaries.

Some JO contracts have already been processed and renewed under his administration, Archival said, but many remain unresolved due to a lack of documentation.

The matter was first raised in the City Council on July 15 by Minority Floor Leader Sisinio Andales, who denounced the months-long delay in salaries as a “broader lack of compassion” for Cebu City’s frontline workforce.

“These are the same people who enforce our policies at the grassroots level — our traffic enforcers braving harsh weather, our administrative aides ensuring smooth operations, and our health workers attending to community needs,” said Andales in his privilege speech.

He urged the council to pursue systemic reforms in the payroll system, including prompt fund releases, digitized tracking, and more stringent monitoring.

“This council must move as one toward a government that is not only efficient but fair,” Andales said. “Let our leadership be measured by the urgency and sincerity of our response to those who serve.”

He also proposed holding an executive session with all relevant finance and HR offices to address the crisis.

The non-payment of JOs is in line with Archival’s “No Appointment, No Work” policy that took effect on July 1, his first day in office.

In Memorandum No. 2025-0001, Archival ordered all department heads not to allow casual or project-based employees to report for work or access files without valid appointments.

“All casual and project-based personnel with no appointments should not be allowed to report for work,” the memo stated, citing the Omnibus Rules on Appointments and Other Human Resource Actions.

The rules note that anyone allowed to work without an approved appointment will not be credited with official service, and any compensation will be considered the “personal liability” of the department head concerned.

Human Resource Development Office (HRDO) chief Henry Tomalabcad said department heads who allow such personnel to work will be held accountable.

“Ang department head na ang manubag sa ilang sweldo,” Tomalabcad said.

Tomalabcad said around 1,400 casual employees have already been renewed upon Archival’s recommendation. Job order workers, however, must now submit department-endorsed project proposals to be considered for renewal.

“For now, casual employees lang sa ang i-renew,” he said. “Ang sabot namo ni Mayor, kinahanglan gikan gyud sa mayor ang endorsement, ug ang chief of staff ra ang mudala sa mga dokumento diri sa HR.”

The city's crackdown comes after the 2024 Commission on Audit (COA) report revealed that Cebu City hired thousands of temporary personnel last year, often bypassing merit-based hiring procedures.

Instead of filling regular plantilla positions, the city issued 2,818 casual appointments to professionals such as nurses and accountants, which were flagged by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) as irregular.

COA also noted that several job order workers had been functioning as de facto plantilla employees for two to five years, in violation of CSC rules that limit JOs to short-term or emergency tasks.

By the end of 2024, the city had hired a total of 5,224 job order workers, many of them deployed as traffic enforcers and administrative assistants, roles that require proper recruitment and job security.

COA warned that this practice undermines the quality of public service and the integrity of the city’s hiring system.(TGP)