FOR the first time since they won in the May 13, 2019 elections, the top officials of the Cebu Provincial Government will meet on Friday, June 28, 2019 for the executive department’s turnover of power.
Lawyer Manolette Dinsay, a member of returning governor Gwen Garcia’s transition team, confirmed that the outgoing third district congresswoman will attend the turnover ceremony on Friday morning.
“Since we’ve already addressed concerns on conflict of schedule, the governor (Garcia) will now be able to attend the turnover ceremony. The Capitol’s local governance transition team also assured that they will avoid delays so the governor can proceed with her commitments,” said Dinsay in an interview Wednesday, June 26.
After the turnover ceremony at the Provincial Capitol, Garcia will proceed to Radisson Blu for her thanksgiving mass and oath taking ceremony. An inaugural ceremony will also be held at 5 p.m. on June 30 at the Capitol Social Hall.
Dinsay said they asked the Capitol’s transition team to move the turnover ceremony to 9 a.m., or an hour earlier, so Garcia can attend.
If everything goes as planned, it will be the first time for Garcia and her predecessor, incoming vice governor Hilario Davide III, to cross paths after winning their electoral races.
Although they were both proclaimed winners last May 16, Garcia had her proclamation in the morning while Davide opted to have his in the afternoon.
In a statement, Dinsay also advised job order and casual employees of the Province of Cebu not to report for work starting July 1, unless a new Job Order and Casual Employment Contract is extended to them by Governor Garcia.
During the June 28 turnover, Garcia’s transition team will furnish the department heads of the Province, including the transition team of outgoing Governor Davide, a list of job order and casual employees whose services will be extended.
Those in the list will be issued temporary identification cards or IDs and are advised to bring a 1x1 picture for the issuance of a new card. For identification, they are advised to also bring their existing IDs. Garcia will formalize this announcement by issuing a Memorandum Circular on June 30.
For her June 30 inaugural ceremony, Garcia has invited Davide and all elected Provincial Board members; the Garcia and Fiel families; as well as senators, congressmen, mayors, vice mayors; members of the diplomatic and consular corps, heads of regional offices of the national government, the Judiciary, friends and supporters.
In a related development, the incoming 15th Provincial Board (PB) has yet to finalize its house rules despite having less than a week before its inaugural session on Monday, July 1.
PB secretary Pulchra Marie Acevedo said only seven of the 17 legislators showed up in the second meeting called by Davide on the possible changes to the legislative body’s house rules last Tuesday, June 25.
“It will not affect the discharge of their legislative duties and functions because in the absence of the internal rules of procedure, it’s going to be the Local Government Code that will supply an executory effect. We will just wait, maybe during the inaugural session. Under the Local Government Code, it’s provided that during the start of the inaugural session, within 90 days thereafter, that’s the time that they will adopt or update their house rules,” she said.
Aside from Davide, present in the Tuesday meeting were reelected PB Members Raul Bacaltos (first district), Jose Mari Salvador (second district), Victoria Corominas-Toribio (third district), Miguel Antonio Magpale (fifth district), Jerome Christian Librando (seventh district) and ex-officio member Jerico Rubio (Sangguniang Kabataan Federation Cebu president).
Absent were reelected PB Members Yolanda Daan (first district), Edsel Galeos (second district), Horacio Paul Franco (fourth district), Thadeo Jovito Ouano (sixth district) and Christopher Baricuatro (seventh district), and ex-officio members Celestino Martinez III (Association of Barangay Councils Cebu president) and Irving Gamallo (Philippine Councilors League Cebu acting president).
Newly elected PB members John Ismael Borgonia (third district), Kerrie Keane Shimura (fourth district), Andrei Duterte (fifth district) and Glenn Anthony Soco (sixth district) were also absent. (RTF, PR)