Four ex-councilors back at City Hall as consultants

CEBU, Philippines - Former Cebu City councilors have added to the long list of City Hall consultants.

This is after the City Council approved during its session last Friday 10 different resolutions for the employment of City Hall consultants, including former councilors Franklin Seno, Geraldo Carillo, Procopio Fernandez and Arsenio Pacaña.

Also, The FREEMAN lifestyle columnist Hans Christopher Kintanar was hired as consultant on protocol and social marketing under the Office of the Mayor.

The City also approved the consultancy contract of Eugene Elizalde, an electrical engineer, as the city’s consultant on Property Management and Organizational Review under the Office of the Mayor. His tasks include the conduct of inventory, investigation and monitoring in relation to property management and review of the City’s organizational structure.

Mayor Michael Rama also entered into an agreement with Romeo Cordova, consultant on chief security and in-house Ombudsman under the Office of the Mayor.

Rama hired Seno, who was a city councilor during the term of former mayor Alvin Garcia, to be consultant at the Cebu City Hillyland Management Board.

Carillo is consultant on “education and quick response on disaster on calamity situations,” Fernandez is consultant on cooperative and livelihood concerns while Pacaña is consultant on tourism and heritage.

Despite the absence of the four councilors from the session, the Council approved their contracts. The consultants will serve the City Government for a period of six months, from January 1 to June 30, 2011. They are receiving a monthly compensation of P18,000.

Rama said the consultants were hired because of their abilities that can help in the operation of the city. The mayor is making sure that the people he hired are the “right persons in the right positions.” 

The council also hired Mark Chito Molina as consultant to the Office of Councilor Ronald Cuenco for the committee on health while Ferdie Riveral was hired as consultant to the Office of Councilor Nida Cabrera for the committee on environment. Councilor Roberto Cabarrubias hired Edison Arriola as consultant to the committee on infrastructure. They are receiving a monthly honorarium of P9,000.

Councilors are entitled to hire one consultant who will be detailed under their respective offices and another consultant each for the committees they chair. — (FREEMAN)