In Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental: Performance audit set for LGU workers

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines — Hundreds of job-order employees of the city government of Dumaguete, including regular and casual plantilla employees will be subjected soon to a performance audit to determine if they are still needed.

Mayor Manuel Sagarbarria issued the statement in response to queries on the fate of job-order employees, also known in the local dialect as tam-juns, whose contract will expire in June 30 this year.

The mayor made it clear that non-performing job-order employees, including the casual plantillas, should be taken out of City Hall, and he ordered the Human Resource Office to conduct an evaluation of their performance. 

Sagarbarria also announced that his administration will strictly institute disciplinary measures against employees found guilty of habitual tardiness and absenteeism, although he assured them he will not terminate anybody but will summon them to his office for a one-on-one talk on the matter.

Reports reaching the mayor stated that a number of employees has committed absenteeism and tardiness, some of whom just disappear from their posts after punching in their time cards and only return to punch out.

Sagarbarria said he could not allow this kind of attitude in his administration. He clarified though that he would not terminate them but would not renew their contracts anymore. “If you don't believe in me, either you resign or you step out,” he said.

There may be at least 50 LGU workers who may be affected by the mayor's purging of the ranks and file due to sluggish performance and other violations.

The mayor however debunked accusations that he will be removing workers who had not voted for him in the last elections. He said this performance audit is not a loyalty check and has nothing to do with politics.

Meanwhile, Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo had also ordered to enforce unity and discipline in the work place, saying that non-performers have no place at the Capitol.

Renewal of contracts of job-order employees will depend on how they were performing over the last few months, adding that there might be some reshuffling of incompetent workers for efficient and smooth operations in the provincial government. (FREEMAN)