Hope for dismissed casual workers

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Administrator Jose Marie Poblete said some of the City Hall casual workers not included in the list of employees told to report back to their respective offices on January 2, may still be rehired if the evaluation of their performance shows they are not lazy.

Mayor Michael Rama earlier said he does not want to have employees at City Hall who are corrupt, lazy, make intrigues, or those who are supporters of his political critics.    

Councilor Margarita “Margot” Osmeña was sad when she learned that Melissa Magalona, one of the products of her former Street Children Program, was among those whose job was terminated by the mayor.

Magalona used to live in the Inayawan dumpsite with her parents until she became one of the beneficiaries of the program of the city that shouldered her expenses in going to school until she graduated cum laude.

Margot said Magalona worked hard at the Department of Social Welfare and Services, but she was terminated maybe just because she is close to her.

The Street Children Program used to be organized by Margot during the stint of former mayor and incumbent south district Rep. Tomas Osmeña.

According to Osmeña the seven personnel assigned to the “Mobile School” whose task is to visit to different places to conduct informal teaching to children, were also terminated.

But Poblete said some of the department heads ran out of time in submitting the names of casual workers to be retained.

“Dili g’yud sabton nga kadtong tanan nga wala sa lista mataktak na sa ilang trabaho. Sigurado nga duna pay uban kanila nga makatrabaho pagbalik gawas lang og sila mga kawatan ug mga tapolan,” Poblete said.

But already some of the workers not in the list claimed they were terminated just for supporting Rep. Osmeña who is a critic of Rama.

Poblete reacted by saying “Aw kanang maong mga casual klaro na hinoon kaayo kun nganong dili sila kuhaon pagbalik.”

Most of the contracts of casual workers end on December 31, 2011 that is why the Human Resource and Development Officer already released the first batch of casual workers who will be retained.

The mayor has the prerogative whether to hire or fire the casual workers under his authority.

When Rama assumed as mayor in July 1, 2010, there was no rampant termination of employees because he was still part of the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan.

But the non-renewal of contracts of several City Hall workers started months after Rama decided to leave the BOPK, which was founded by the former mayor.

Rep. Osmeña said BOPK has given up some of their Christmas celebration activities so they can give aid to those who are threatened to be terminated from their jobs.

He said he is willing to provide them a gift certificate worth up to P2,000 at SM.

His office also formed a team to evaluate the resumes of the terminated or non-renewed employees to see if they can be referred to another job.

Rep. Osmeña said he fears that more employees will be terminated sooner or later for which he criticized the mayor.

“I feel sorry, I feel guilty actually, because I asked them to vote for Mike Rama. This is what they get in return?” Rep. Osmeña said.

The congressman said city hall has lost its professionalism due to politics.  (FREEMAN)