Talisay to pay non-teaching TCC staff via general fund

CEBU, Philippines - Talisay City Budget officer Edgar Mabunay yesterday said the funds for honorarium for the non-teaching personnel of the Talisay City College will be taken from the General Fund for the Operation, Maintenance and Support Services of the city.

Mabunay told The Freeman that he already informed Mayor Johnny De los Reyes that appropriation for close to P300,000 for unpaid honoraria of the non-teaching personnel will be sourced out from the 2014 approved General Fund.

The TCC non-teaching personnel receive P6,500  per month.

Early on, De los Reyes sought for the inclusion of supplemental budget this year so that unpaid non-teaching personnel of Talisay City College could be paid.

"Naa ma'y appropriation niana. Dili na necessary for the city to pass a supplemental budget for the inclusion kay we have enough funds for the payment of our non-teaching personnel," Mabunay said.

To recall, at least 30 non-teaching personnel have sought the help of City Council members in order to claim their salaries. The mayor did not release the fund reportedly because of the pending presidency issue at TCC.

Mabunay, however, said the honorarium for the payment of then acting president Ritchel Bacaltos and Paulus Cañete will be taken from the TCC funds.

The city approved P12 million in budget for the operation of the college, including its salary for the teaching personnel including its TCC president.

The issue arose when De los Reyes appointed Cañete as head of the college, in effect replacing Bacaltos.

But Bacaltos argued that the order was illegal because Sangguniang Panlungsod Ordinance No. 2008-11 enacted on Dec. 10, 2008 says only the school's BOT has the authority to designate an officer-in-charge of the school.

It was the same board which, through Resolution No. 21 S-201, appointed Bacaltos as acting president of the college on June 5, 2013.

Right now, the TCC is headed by CHED Regional Director Freddie Bernal, who will temporarily assume the presidency of the TCC until a search committee appoints a new president. — (FREEMAN)