CH to scrap useless bodies

Mayor Tomas Osmeña is streamlining the operations at the City Hall and will soon terminate several existing commissions and councils that he deemed unproductive.

This after the mayor expressed opposition to an earlier move by the City Council creating more commissions and councils for the city government.

In his regular press conference yesterday, Osmeña said the creation of new councils and commissions would mean additional appropriations for the honorarium of the members.

"There are so many commissions in City Hall that many of our department heads cannot work anymore. There is no more limit to the creation of commissions, as if the council has nothing to do except creating commissions," Osmeña said.

Osmeña said the creation of several commissions and councils would be counter-productive and that the functions of officials will only be reduced to attending meetings instead of focusing on their work.

"This is not only waste of time but they cannot do their job as department heads," Osmeña said, adding that most of the commissions and councils created by the City Council are composed of department heads.

Citing the proposed measure creating the Cebu City Blood Coordinating Council and the Coastline Management Board, the mayor said that the former could be handled by the Cebu City Medical Center in coordination with the city health department and the barangays.

An ordinance sponsored by Councilor Nestor Archival carries an appropriation of P500,000 for the operations of the blood coordinating council, including the honorarium of its 15 members, each of whom will receive P500 for every meeting.

Osmeña also believed that the 38 members of the Coastline Management Board would be "difficult to gather in every meeting."

The mayor said he would meet with Vice Mayor Michael Rama and the council members to inform them to limit the creation of commissions and councils.

Rama and councilors Jocelyn Pesquera, Procopio Fernandez, Rodrigo Abellanosa and Sylvan Jakosalem are presently in the United States for official business and will be back on August 18. - Garry B. Lao