Cebu City medical workers to get pay after at least four months of delay

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City Administrator Floro Casas, Jr. announced on Friday that the city may release by next week the salary of medical personnel working on a job order basis who were reported to have not received their salaries for four months now.

These personnel include nurses and doctors assigned at the Cebu City Medical Center and Cebu City Quarantine Center.

“Gahapon, naa na sa akoang table ang ilahang mga documents, ang ilahang payroll. We’re expecting mga Monday, Tuesday madawat na nila ang ilahang sweldo,” Casas told reporters on Friday, April 30, 2021.

Casas attributed the delay of the salary’s release to the process that needed to be followed to acquire the source of the P4.3 million budget for the 98 medical personnel, as it was not included in the approved Annual Budget.

The budget will be charged from the city’s disaster fund, which needed the approval of the disaster council and needed to go through the City Council for a resolution.

He apologized for the delay, and assured that the will do its best to release the salary of the workers monthly.

“Mangayo lang ko og pasensya nga medyo na-delay ang ilahang sweldo. I have to admit that there’s a delay gyud sa ilahang sweldo. Naa man gud ta’y process nga gisunod,” Casas said.

“Ang atong process medyo taas-taas gyud kay gikan sa budget proposal, adto pa sa disaster council for approval, mo-issue og resolution ang disaster council ‘nya i-submit pud padung sa City Council for charging sa katong account for this particular program,” he explained.

He said that the city had to hire more personnel in January when it started experiencing a resurgence of COVID-19 cases following the holidays. Incidentally, that was also the same month when it had to process the source of funds.

“Mao na siya ang nakadugay kay ni-take gyud to og time ang process para sa source sa ilahang pagsweldo,” Casas said.

Casas said the city will still the need the services of these JO personnel even if the number of cases has already started to drop.

He said these personnel can be utilized for the city’s vaccination program, which has just kicked off. - JMO  (FREEMAN)