MANDAUE City Mayor Jonas Cortes joined the flag-raising ceremony on his first day of office at 8 a.m. Monday, July 1, 2019.

He then realized that the first few minutes of the official working hours of the City Hall were not spent on serving his constituents and other people who have transactions with different departments.

Cortes later told the employees that he decided to change the flag-raising ceremony’s schedule to 7:45 a.m. next Monday, July 8, and it will stay the same for other Mondays for the rest of his three-year term.

From July 2019 until June 2022, there are more than 150 Mondays. But if some holidays fall on Mondays, the City Hall—just like other government offices—would not hold flag-raising ceremonies.

A section of the implementing rules of Executive Order 292 (Administrative Code of 1987) states that “officers and employees of all departments and agencies, except those covered by special laws, shall render not less than eight hours of work a day for five days a week or a total of 40 hours a week exclusive of time for lunch, which as a general rule shall be from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on all days except Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.”

Aside from Cortes, Vice Mayor Glenn Bercede and the councilors; employees and other employees of government agencies participated in the flag-raising activity.

The other pressing concerns that Cortes would want to deal with are the 50th year of Mandaue’s cityhood on Aug. 30, and the immediate review on two ordinances that prohibit the use of plastics and disallow motorists to wear face masks.

Cortes told Mandaue City Police Office Director Julian Entoma to increase police visibility in the streets by installing outposts in major intersections.

He promised the police and fire departments that his administration will support them.

The Barangay Tipolo residents displaced by the recent fire would also get help from the returning mayor.

Cortes said he wants to strengthen the city’s waste segregation campaign and this will start at the City Hall. (from FMD of SuperBalita CEBU/KAL)