Renewal of Cebu City workers faces delay due to budget woes

Local

CEBU CITY Hall workers hoping for swift contract renewals will have to wait a little longer.

Mayor Nestor Archival Sr. on Tuesday, July 1, confirmed that the city hall’s contract renewal process may face delays due to a budget shortfall of between P2 billion and P3 billion. This has raised uncertainty for thousands of job order (JO) and casual employees.

“Daghan kaayo’g gusto magpa-renew. Pero karon, ang atong giatubang kay duna tay deficit nga P2 to P3 billion,” Archival told reporters in an interview. “If we renew everyone right now, dili gyud ta kasweldo nila.”

Archival said his immediate focus is to stabilize the city’s finances before committing to a full-scale renewal of employees. A financial audit is now underway and will continue until Friday.

“We have to look at the city’s financial health. Mao ni’y gasolina sa serbisyo. If we don’t have the funds, we can’t sustain the workforce or continue our services,” he added.

While the mayor declined to confirm how many employees would ultimately be retained, he emphasized that critical services, such as waste management, health care, and daycare centers, will not be compromised.

“For now, we will assign people to handle basic and essential operations. Apil na ang garbage, health services, and daycare,” Archival said.

Asked whether there are ghost employees on the payroll, Archival replied, “There might be, but dili ko muingon nga naa kay wala pa man tay nahibal-an.”

Henry Tomalabcad, head of the City Human Resource Development Office (HRDO), said that as of Monday evening, June 30, only 1,400 employees, all of them with casual status, have been renewed.

Cebu City Hall’s workforce stands at over 8,500.

“The mayor gave clear instructions. All endorsements must come from him. Dili mi mudawat ug laing endorsement or application,” Tomalabcad said in a separate interview. “Our office will only process appointments that have the mayor’s signature.”

He added that JO employees will only be considered after department heads submit project proposals, subject to mayoral approval.

Tomalabcad acknowledged that not everyone will be rehired, noting that new administrations often bring in their own personnel.

But he remained optimistic that more than 60 percent of employees could be renewed, based on current trends.

“Every day naa may additional list nga i-renew. We are hoping nga mulapas sa 60% ang total renewals,” he said.

Tomalabcad also shared that long-time employees, those who have served 13 years and are two years short of qualifying for GSIS benefits, are being considered for humanitarian exemptions.

“We’re happy to report nga ang mga critical positions like doctors, midwives, and city health staff, wala gyud hilabti. And the mayor has been positive toward our appeal for those nearing retirement eligibility,” he said.

Earlier, Archival said his administration would maintain a status quo for up to three months, during which no major staffing changes would be made.

This allows time to study the city’s budget, review job functions, and determine which roles are necessary.

“We need to know what positions are essential and whether we have enough money to support them,” Archival previously said.

Former Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia earlier urged Archival to keep experienced employees in place, warning that a sweeping overhaul could disrupt services.

“They’ve been trained, they know their work, and they can keep the city running smoothly,” Garcia said.

To prepare for potential layoffs, Garcia also directed the Department of Manpower Placement and Development to organize a job fair and employment matching program for displaced workers.(TGP)