Telecom allowance of some City Hall workers suspended

CEBU, Philippines - The city government has suspended the telecommunication allowance of some employees of City Hall due to lack of funds.

In a memorandum, Mayor Michael Rama ordered the suspension of the monthly telecommunication allowance of employees falling under the “Preferential Criteria” effective today. Exempted from the suspension are those who “extremely” need the allowance.

“In view of the budgetary constraints and for austerity measures, monthly telecommunications (mobile phone) allowance under Executive Order No. 10-121 dated September 3, 2010, is hereby temporarily suspended effective March 1, 2012,” reads Memorandum No. 30120027.

The order was triggered by the inadequate budget approved under the 2012 Annual Budget. The City Council only approved P4,385,950.34, which is equivalent to a seven-month worth of allocation.

The total needed budget for mobile allowance of all 219 employees with authority to receive mobile phone allowance is P6,936,000.00 for the whole year.

To adjust with the existing budget, allowance of those employees who fall under the “Preferential Criteria” is suspended temporarily.

Employees under the Preferential Criteria are those employees with rank below the division chiefs recommended by their department heads to avail of the privilege. They used to be granted communication allowance of not less than P300 and not more than P1,000 monthly.

The other criteria, Absolute Criteria, consists of all elected officials, including the mayor, vice mayor, city councilors, department heads, assistant department heads, heads of offices and division chiefs.

The Mayor, Vice Mayor and City Administrator have unlimited mobile allowance while the City Councilors and Secretary to the Mayor have a maximum of P5,500 monthly cell phone allowance.

The Department heads are entitled to P4,000 monthly cell phone allowance while the assistant department heads and heads of offices enjoy P3,000 monthly allowance. The division chiefs are granted P2,500 monthly cell phone allowance.

There are 219 officials, officers, city hall employees and other grantees enjoying mobile allowance from the city government.

More than half of the list falls under the preferential criteria.

Rama said the allowance may be reinstated when the budget allows.

“In the event that budgetary constraints will be resolved, the usual allocation of said allowance extended to those government officials and employees other than the ones under the Absolute Criteria will be reinstated upon issuance of a subsequent memorandum lifting this temporary suspension,” Rama’s order reads. — (FREEMAN)