Rama assures winners: Unpaid prizes will be settled

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama assured the city government will pay the prize money it owed to the winners of several competitions the City Hall had organized.

The mayor gave the assurance after some of the winners vented on social media their frustrations after several months had past and the city government still failed to release their prize money.

"Utang pagabayaran," this was Rama’s comment on the report that the city owed several competition winners, including that of last Monday’s Barangayan sa Sugbo 2023.

Although he gave his word, Rama could not give a definite answer as to when will the payments be made. According to the mayor, he still has to check the reasons behind the delay in the release of the prizes.

Rama said he will coordinate with the organizers of the competitions to find out what were the problems. Among those that have yet to receive their prizes are the winners of the 1st Heritage Summit Painting Competition and the Animal Welfare Summit Photo Contest. Both competitions were organized by the office of Vice Mayor Raymond Garcia.

Dr. Jessica Maribojoc, head of the Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries (DVMF), said her office was just facilitating the Animal Welfare Summit Photo Contest. She said it was the vice mayor’s office that organized the event.

The local film writer and director Sam Costanilla also complained of unpaid prizes for the 2023 SINEGUGMA Film Festival. He said the competition was held in March yet but the prizes are still not paid until now.

"And it's June now, so count how many months the city government had not yet paid those winners. A one-month delay in the release of cash prizes is tolerable ... but 6 months?” Costanilla posted on Facebook.

For the veteran film writer and director, prizes of competitions are not supposed to be owed.

"Nganong magpatugatuga man paghimo’g mga sangka unya ang ganting salapi alang sa mga mananaug utangon ra diay. LGU unya mangutang sa mga mananaug?," he added.

Costanilla also wondered how long would it take for the city government to process the needed documents to release the prizes.

"Pila man diay ka kadagkoan ang moperma ug pila man diay ka panid/pahina ang ilang permahan?,” he said.

Winners of the Barangayan sa Sugbo 2023 last Monday were also not paid of their cash prizes. In fact, the city government has yet to determine how much cash prizes will be given to the winners.

Ernest Herrera, special assistant to the mayor and overseer of the festival, said they need to adjust the amount of prizes due to the unexpected budget cut. The mayor slashed to P5 million the P10.5 million budget allocated for the Independence Day celebration following public criticisms of the lavish amount. -— (FREEMAN)