By Chito Chavez
In her first appointments as chief executive, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte has designated five officers-in-charge (OIC) that filled up the vacancies in the executive department.
Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte (FACEBOOK / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
Belmonte’s Office Orders 1 through 5 designated Atty. Sherry Gonzalvo, Ma. Margarita T. Santos, Arch. Lucille H. Chua, Arch. Nancy C. Esguerra and Rogelio L. Reyes as OIC of the Office of the City Assessor, Business Permits and Licensing Department, City Architect Department, Parks Development and Administration Department, and Public Employment
Service Office, respectively.
All of the OICs will receive monthly Representation and Travelling Allowance (RATA) corresponding to the position pursuant to Department of Budget and Management LBC No. 103 dated 15 May 2013.
The office orders are effective immediately and will last until a permanent department head is assigned to the office.
Belmonte noted that more appointments in the other departments are in the offing.
Meanwhile, numerous contractual workers at the city hall fear of losing their jobs with the ascension of Belmonte to the top city post.
A job order city hall personnel who requested anonymity is in a quandary on how to feed his family of five in the event he loses his job.
“Mahigit na akong sampung taon naninilbihan sa city hall bilang contractual. Ang misis ko may sari-sari store lang. Hindi pa sapat ang kinikita namin para sa pangangailangan namin. Magiging Malala ang sitwasyon pag hindi ako ma-rehire (For more than 10 years I have been a contractual worker at the city hall. My wife only tends a variety store. Our income still makes it difficult for us to make ends meet. Things will get worse if I do not get re-hired),’’ he said.
Another contractual employee expressed grave concern that workers like him, who got into city hall due to the intercession of former Mayor Herbert Bautista’s allies, will most likely get the axe.
He noted that life will be miserable for him in the coming months, saying that it was most likely that Belmonte will fire or not re-hire contractual city hall employees,
including lowly workers like him with close links to Bautista or the former mayor’s allies.
Other contractual employees who are in dire financial straight appealed to Belmonte for the immediate release of their salary this month.
They said the delay was due to the assessment of the performance of the contractual workers.
“Hindi namin alam kung saan kami kukuha ng panggastos. Malaking bagay ang dapat sana sasahudin kong P4,000 itong kinsenas apara sa mahirap na pamilya. Sana naman maintindihan ito ni Mayor Belmonte (We do not know where to get money for our expenses. My P4,000 for 15 days this month is a big help for a poor family. I hope mayor belmonte understands our plight),’’ the other contractual worker said.
However, Belmonte stressed that performance will still be the basis for the re-hiring of contractual workers regardless if they are close to the former mayor or not.
She asserted that non-performing contractual employees or those with unsatisfactory employment records like tardiness, habitual absences or any other illicit or corrupt acts will have to leave city hall.