Revamp at Cebu City Hall

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama has implemented a revamp of City Hall department heads yesterday.

The revamp includes Police Coordinating and Advisory Council (PCAC) head Eng. Eugene Elizalde, who is now assigned as new city administrator replacing Jose Marie Poblete, who now heads the Department of Engineering and Public Works (DEPW).

Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella will head the PCAC.

City Engineer Kenneth Enriquez will handle the City Planning and Development Office (CPDO) while City Resource and Management and Development Center (Cremdec) chief Maricon Encabo will be CPDO’s assistant head.

Department of Public Services (DPS) chief Engr. Dionisio Gualiza and Rolando Ardoza who heads the General Service Office (GSO) have switched their posts.

Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries (DVMF) chief Dr. Alice Utlang will now head the Cebu City Office on Substance Abuse Prevention (COSAP) and will assist Cebu City Agriculture head Joey Baclayon on the issues concerning animals.

Fidel Magno of the Department for Manpower Development and Placement (DMDP) and Cremdec is now assigned to man Cebu City Jail focusing on women’s livelihood.  Cremdec will be headed by Nenita Fernandez, Rama’s executive assistant.

Cathy Yso will now handle street children in Barangay Parian. Yso was the former executive director of the Cebu City Risk Reduction Management Council (CCRRMC) and head of the Second Chance Operation facility in the mountain barangay of Kalunasan.

Arlene Rentusa will now head the Internal Audit Service Office. She was the former Internal Control Office chief.

Mary Ann Suson, one of the city lawyers, was reassigned as assistant at the Human Resource Development Office (HRDO). The office will still be headed by Dominic Diño.

Meanwhile, Loida Antonio will be HRDO assistant focusing on the city’s employees, benefits and trainings or associational development.

Lawyer Ferdinand Cañete of the city legal office will head the City Assessor’s Office, Dr. Daisy Villa will head the Cebu City Health Department, and City Health chief Dr. Stella Ygoña will now handle the City Hospitalization Assistance and Medicines Program (Champ) and oversee the health and sanitation matter in the city.

Eustaquio “Junie” Cesa was assigned to assist City Treasurer’s Office chief Diwa Cuevas and Veronica Morelos at the Office of the City Administrator.

Leslie Reyes of City Legal Office is the new supervisor who will oversee the City’s Protocol Office and Public Information Office (PIO). Jojo Labella, brother of Vice-mayor Edgardo Labella, will also supervise the PIO.

Meanwhile, Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) chief Dr. Gloria Duterte, City Agriculturist Baclayon, HRDO chief Dominic Diño, City Accountant Mark Solomon , City Attorney Jerone Castillo, City Civil Registrar Evangeline Abatayo, Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Officer Randy Navarro, and Cebu City Traffic Operations Management (Citom) executive director Rafael Yap have retained their posts.

Rama said the revamp was part of “bagong taon, bagong kinabuhi” and Show of Super Service (SOSS) but might only last three or six months.

When asked how he came up with the revamp, Rama said choosing new department heads is his prerogative as a mayor.

However, photographers Jayson Reyes and John Paul Amores detailed at the PIO were terminated after they failed to photograph the mayor with Miss Cebu candidates last year.

Yesterday, Rama convened with all department heads to discuss the “movement.”

He also said he plans to meet all City Hall employees at the Cebu City Coliseum to discuss about “some changes this year.” — /LPM (FREEMAN)