New policy stalls pay of some Capitol workers

CEBU, Philippines - Some contractual and job order personnel of the Provincial Health Office have not received their pay for three months.

This according to PHO head Cynthia Genosolango who attributed the delay in the processing of the salaries reportedly owing to lack of supporting documents. The problem, she said, is that the newly-hired personnel were not informed of the additional requirements.

Most of those affected are assigned at district and provincial hospitals.

“Like pagtan-aw, wa daw accomplishment report – for instance, we are asked to attach accomplishment report – but we did not know that we were supposed to attach an accomplishment report so we have to retrieve those (documents) without accomplishment report so murag mobalik na pod sa uno,” Genosolango said during a budget hearing yesterday.

She said some personnel could not secure the additional requirements promptly because of their work schedule. Because of this, the documents could not proceed to the Provincial Accountant’s Office from the Human Resource Management Office.

“This (delay) is keenly felt in the hospitals where we can’t afford for our personnel to be absent or dili mo-report kay way ika-plete unlike the other offices pwede mo-operate smoothly even with skeleton force,” she told The Freeman in a text message.

PHO has yet to check on Monday the number of medical personnel who have yet to receive their salaries.

Board Member Grecilda Sanchez who heads the Provincial Board’s committee on budget and appropriations described the concern as “alarming” considering the time that these medical personnel are working without receiving salary yet.

Board Member Peter John Calderon who sits as chairperson of the PB committee on public health and social welfare recommended that a coordination meeting be held to discuss the matter.

Genosolango suggested that a checklist be made to prevent the same problem from happening, especially that contracts will be renewed in January.

PHO has set aside P132 million from its 2014 budget for personal services.

Provincial Budget Office Danilo Rodas said this has been utilized to fund PHO personnel including those who are yet to receive their salary.

PHO is proposing a P409.3 million budget for next year, which is P25 million higher than the current P379.75 million.

Governor Hilario Davide III earlier explained that a bigger budget should be set aside for the PHO because of more projects, including the improvement of health services in the province and hiring of more medical consultants to man the province-owned hospitals especially those already upgraded to level one status.

He said health is a top priority under his administration. – Michael Vencynth H. Braga/JMO (FREEMAN)