Jonas to hire 6 consultants

CEBU, Philippines - Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes is set to hire the services of six consultants to help him run the city government.

Cortes had previously said he will be hiring the services of former provincial board member Wenceslao Gakit as his personal consultant.

Cortes trusts Gakit, being a CPA. Gakit once served as a barangay captain of Paknaan and was a city councilor for nine years before running for a PB seat in 2007 and won.

He sought re-election in the May 10 elections but lost.

The mayor said he will make use of Gakit's expertise in budget and finance considering that he served as committee chairman of budget and finance of both the Mandaue City council and at the Provincial Board.

Cortes said Gakit's honorarium will come from his own pocket.

Cortes will also hire former city administrator Francisco " Bimbo" Fernandez to be the urban poor consultant .

Fernandez recently resigned from the Cebu City government as his position is co-terminus with the term of former Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña, who is now a representative of the Cebu south district.

Fernandez, a former commissioner of the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP), is a community organizer and manages Pagtambayayong Foundation, a non-government organization which caters to the needs of urban poor especially on low-cost housing need.

Cortes said the city is also hiring Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) president Eric Mendoza as consultant in investment and promotions.

Mendoza owns a furniture firm in the city and a coffee shop at Ayala Business Park.

During his term, MCCI was awarded as the "most outstanding chamber in the Visayas."

Cortes said the city will also hire Ben Momongan as consultant on IT and e-transaction.

Momongan for his part is responsible for the setting in place the e-transaction in the municipalities of Argao and Liloan.

Under the e-transaction, one can transact business with any office through the internet thereby preventing corruption and promoting efficient and fast services.

Two other consultants will be hired, namely, Emelio Pascual on cultural heritage and Engr. Oscar Rodriguez on urban planning.

Pascual was the former head of the History Department of the University of San Carlos and a known choreographer being responsible for the award of Tangub City contingent for the Hall of Famer award in the Sinulog grand mardi gras contest.

Engr. Rodriguez is a holder of an M.A. in Urban and Regional Planning from UP-Diliman; a professor in UP-Cebu, participated in the Comprehensive Land Use Program, and presently a member of the City Zoning and Development Council. (FREEMAN NEWS)