Osmeña offers top Bar passers City Hall job

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña offers the three Bar topnotchers from Cebu City an opportunity to be part of the Mayor’s Management Team (MMT) to expose them on how to deal with management issues.

He told reporters yesterday that this could serve as their alternative work, knowing that they may be more inclined to do private practice.

“Well, I told them… the three of them, on their personal objective development they’ve got so much attention, they should work together as a team; it is called branding,” Osmeña said.

Yesterday, Osmeña hosted a lunch with topnotchers Karen Mae Calam (Top 1), Anne Margaret Momongan (Top 7), and Jefferson Gomez (Top 8) to celebrate their recent triumph. All three got their law degrees from the University of San Carlos.

Osmeña said that if the three lawyers want to join the city government’s MMT, he will give them P50,000 each.

“The MMT program is how to eliminate red tape, once you’re in that system I can put them anywhere… MMT is a special discipline on how to analyze problem, on how to break it up, on how to make changes,” he said.

Osmeña further said it would be a good development if Calam, Momongan and Gomez will be part of MMT since he wants to inspire Cebuanos that Cebu is better than Manila.

The mayor said the city was cited by the Ateneo de Manila University Graduate Business School as one of the 10 best models of management in the whole Philippines.

In a separate interview, Calam finds the mayor's offer interesting and that she is open for it.

Gomez sees it as a good opportunity for them to be able to work with the city government.

“For me it’s a consideration gyud nga to be a part of Cebu City especially nga we’re from Cebu gyud, it’s good to be able to work here as well sa Cebu City,” he said.

Momongan, for her part, did not expect that Osmeña would offer them spots at the MMT.

 “No, we thought we're just here for a courtesy call. We didn’t think there is such offer. After passing, we think of ways to give back. This opens the opportunity on how to serve the city where we grew up in,” she told reporters yesterday.

As of press time, the three did not confirm yet if they will be accepting the offer of the mayor.

Osmeña started the MMT program 20 years ago but it was stopped during the administration of former mayor Michael Rama in 2010.

Applicants for MMT must be degree holders who graduated with honors as well as bar and board topnotchers.

Meanwhile, Osmeña said he will promote to higher positions three city hall employees who also passed the bar.

These employees are Mario Calvo, assistant head of Human Resource Development Office; Jason Mark Tirol of Accounting Office and Misaellee Tejano of Office of the Mayor.

However, the mayor did not say what positions he will designate the three passers.

Tejano told The FREEMAN she was happy that Osmeña is going to give them a promotion.

“It is an honor that Mayor Tom is considering to assign me to a higher position. I am happy to serve the Cebu City Government and the Cebuanos as a new lawyer. I look forward to helping improve public service,” she said.

Tejano has been an employee at City Hall employee for seven years. Previously, he works under the supervision of former councilor Alvin Dizon.

Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan Councilors Mary Ann Delos Santos, Eugenio Gabuya Jr., Margarita “Margot” Osmeña, Sisinio Andales and Representatives Raul Del Mar and Rodrigo Abellanosa also graced the celebration lunch for the bar topnotchers. (FREEMAN)