Payroll processing back to barangays

CEBU, Philippines - In order to prevent delays in releasing the honorariums for barangay workers, Cebu City’s Association of Barangay Councils has agreed to revert back to the previous system of processing barangay workers’ payroll after consulting with the concerned offices of City Hall.

This development came up after ABC president and Tisa Barangay Captain Phillip Zafra, with representatives from the Office of the City Accountant, City Budget Office, City Treasurer’s Office and Deputy Mayor on Budget and Finance, Councilor Margarita Osmeña, met yesterday to discuss the issue that hundreds of barangay workers have not yet received their financial assistance for the period of July to December last year.

Last Tuesday, during the City Council’s regular session, Councilor Joel Garganera delivered a privilege speech on the matter.

“The honorariums of our tanods, barangay health workers, barangay environmental officers, and loaders have not been received since July 2016 for services rendered from July to December 2016,” Garganera told the other members of the City Council.

Barangays that have not received their honorariums include Bacayan, Binaliw, Tisa, Capitol Site, Cogon Ramos, Labangon, Bulacao, Guadalupe, and Inayawan among others.

The present administration has implemented a new system in which payroll processing will be done through the Barangay Affairs Office.

Osmeña said the delay is not because of partisan politics since there are barangay workers that have received their shares.

“It’s hard to explain the delay. I understand that services have been rendered and the assistance has been delayed for six months. Sometimes, the master list is not corrected. This is not about politics because some have received because they complied,” she said.

With this development, all barangays are now expected to submit to the ABC office all the needed requirements such as the daily time record of the workers endorsed by their barangay captains accompanied by an accomplishment report.

After this, the ABC will forward the payroll to the office of the mayor through Executive Assistant Francisco “Bimbo” Fernandez who is being authorized to sign it.

“Ari na moagi sa atoang opisina ang payroll once makompleto ang requirements. Atoa nang i-forward sa mayor’s office through the office of Bimbo Fernandez. With that, naa ta’y staff sa ABC nga mag-monitor kun asa na padulong ang payroll,” Zafra said.

Zafra said the payroll will be done by clusters again so that there would be less paper work that could lead to further delays.

“Nasabotan sad kaganiha nga ibalik to ang clustering kay sauna man gud, per barangay daghan kaayo buhatonon, daghan kaayo’g paper works, mao na nga mobalik ang clustering,” he added.

For those barangays that will not be able to submit the requirements on the day of submission, ABC will make a separate payroll for them. (FREEMAN)