THE City Government of Bacolod has retained only 19 employees as plantilla casuals as it downgraded the employment of more than 80 percent of the almost 1,000 casual employees to job order status.
Bacolod City Mayor Evelio R. Leonardia earlier appealed to all casual employees to understand the situation because of the impact of the declaration by the Department of Justice (DOJ) that the Revised Revenue Code of Bacolod City was illegal due to lack of the necessary consultation when it was passed and implemented in 2009.
The City Government of Bacolod has suffered a huge shortfall in revenue collection due to the DOJ decision because the city had to revert to the old and obsolete tax rates this year.
Leonardia explained that those who paid the new tax rates in 2009 and renewed their business permits paid the city using the revised rates.
Those who stayed as plantilla casuals have served the city for several decades and the city agreed to retain their status so that their contribution to the GSIS will not be disrupted.
Everything will go back to normalcy by 2011, Secretary to the Mayor Rodel Parcon said earlier.
But the affected casual employees will no longer enjoy employment benefits with their re-classification from plantilla to job order status.