300 job order staff will not be paid

CEBU CITY — They showed up. They worked. But they won’t be paid. Yet.

Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival has declared he will not release the salaries of over 300 job order (JO) workers who rendered services from January to June 2025 without official appointments signed by his predecessor, former mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia. Archival said many of these workers went directly to his office after he assumed office on July 1, 2025, to demand their salary, but none could show valid documents to prove their employment status with the city government. The mayor said that without duly signed contracts, there is no legal basis for compensation. While some employees with appointments dated June 2025 are currently being processed, the rest remain ineligible for payment. “Kung wala gani silay appointment from January to June, dili gyud na sila ma-sweldohan (If they don’t have an appointment from January to June, they really won’t be paid),” Archival told reporters.

The issue was brought to the City Council’s attention by Minority Floor Leader Councilor Sisinio Andales during a privilege speech on July 15. He pointed out that many affected workers include traffic enforcers, health workers and administrative aides, who all perform essential services for the city. Andales has also called for the immediate improvement of payroll systems, proposing updated digital monitoring and scheduled fund releases.

To prevent further irregularities, Archival issued Memo 2025-0001 on June 30, implementing a strict “No Appointment, No Work” policy effective July 1, 2025. The directive orders department heads to bar all casual and project-based workers without approved contracts from reporting to work. The memo cites national guidelines stating that any person made to assume duties without a proper appointment cannot be credited for services rendered, and the appointing authority shall be personally liable for any salary paid.

Human Resource Development Office (HRDO) chief Henry Tomalabcad backed the directive, warning that department heads who ignore the rule will be held accountable for any unauthorized wages. He said around 1,400 casual employees had been renewed upon the mayor’s endorsement, but JO workers remain under review pending submission of project proposals by department heads.

The wage controversy comes as the new administration grapples with a projected budget deficit and tightens control over personnel spending. The city government has also come under scrutiny following a 2024 Commission on Audit (COA) report that found thousands of JOs and casuals performing regular duties despite the city leaving many plantilla positions unfilled. The COA and the Civil Service Commission flagged this as a violation of rules that limit JO hiring to emergency or temporary work.

Archival’s administration has frozen new hiring and prioritized contract renewals for essential services such as health, waste management and daycare operations.