CEBU, Philippines - Lazy city workers may be costing the city government a whopping P6 million a month, or so says Cebu City administrator Francisco “Bimbo” Fernandez, who told members of the Cebu Citizens Press Council that he considers these lazy employees as one of the biggest problems that need to be attended to.
He explained that if the 5,000 City Hall workers will be lazy in their work even for one hour everyday, it is considered that the city paid each of them at P40 for an hour just for nothing.
Fernandez said for wasting one working hour everyday it costs the city about P200,000 daily or P6 million a month.
Acting Mayor Michael Rama said Fernandez, as city administrator, Fernandez should work to remedy this, in coordination with the Human Resource and Development officer.
Fernandez admitted that there are many City Hall employees who are always roaming City Hall without proper work, while the others are frequently seen smoking and talking in the lobby of the City Hall legislative building during office hours.
He failed to give an answer when The FREEMAN asked him why the administration of Mayor Tomas Osmeña hired the concerned workers who do not have proper work assignments.
But another City Hall official said the concerned workers were just hired because they are die-hard supporters of the Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan headed by the mayor.
Rama also admitted that some of the City Hall employees go out of their offices even during working hours for unofficial purposes, such as fetching their children from school and buying groceries.
There is an existing policy that all City Hall employees should wear their identification cards during office hours, but the reporters covering the City Hall beat have observed that some of them are not following the order.
“Maayo usab nga gi-bring up ni Sir Bimbo kining isyu sa mga walay trabaho nga empleyado para mahunong na ni,” one of the City Hall employees said. — Rene U. Borromeo/BRP (THE FREEMAN)