Cebu City dad under fire over multiple posts

CEBU CITY — A city councilor is facing a barrage of criticisms for holding the chairmanship of numerous committees of the city council and the city government.

But councilor Firmo Dayao gave assurances that he is capable of handling the multiple positions.

At present, Dayao heads the committees on labor and education, the Waterfront Development Commission, Cebu City Cleanliness Action Team, Task Force on Garbage, Resettlement Project, and the Cebu City Cooperative Development Council.

Dayao also chairs the Personnel Board, Organization and Management Appraisal Committee, the Private Sector Organization and Management Appraisal Committee, and the Cebu City Private Sector Organization Evaluation and Monitoring Board by virtue of his being the head of the city council’s labor committee.

As chairman of the education committee, Dayao heads the Youth Development Commission and the newly created Sports Center Management Committee.

Dayao said he accepted these positions because he is confident that he can perform well even if the various committees focus on largely different aspects.

"It’s precisely why I accepted it. But if they feel that I’m no longer efficient, they can replace me," he said. "I would not add any more committee to what I already have."

Mayor Alvin Garcia rushed to Dayao’s defense, saying that he assigned the councilor to various committees other than those the city council has delegated to him because of his laudable working attitude.

"Firmo is one of the most efficient councilors. I would rather have one working councilor than eight non-working councilors," the mayor said.
"That is applicable universally. You give more work to people who are efficient and whom you can trust. It is applicable anywhere in the world," Garcia said.

Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan councilor Manuel Legaspi said they were not questioning Dayao’s competence and that it was normal for Garcia to choose one of his allies in the council to lead city government committees. — Freeman News Service