Mayor Nestor Archival attributed salary delays for nearly 1,000 Cebu City job order workers to incomplete documents and late submissions of mandatory accomplishment reports.
Councilor Harold Kendrick Go disclosed that 956 workers missed salaries from January to March 2026, with some backlogs extending to October, affecting hundreds of dependent households.
Archival stated that the budget is available and the City has started requiring daily documentation and templates to streamline future payroll processing and minimize delays.
INCOMPLETE documents and the late submission of accomplishment reports are among the main reasons nearly 1,000 job order (JO) workers in Cebu City have yet to receive months of unpaid salaries, according to Mayor Nestor Archival.
Archival said the City Government has sufficient funds to cover the workers’ compensation, but payroll processing is often delayed when required documents are submitted late or remain incomplete.
Despite the delays, he maintained that City Hall has allocated funds for the workers’ salaries and is ready to release payments once all documentary requirements are completed.
“We have not fallen short. The budget is already available. The moment all the required documents are complete, the funds will be released,” he said.
He addressed the issue after concerns were raised over the plight of at least 956 JO workers who reportedly went without salaries from January to March this year, with some workers still awaiting payments dating back to late 2025.
According to the mayor, accomplishment reports, which are required before salaries can be processed, are often submitted at the last minute. He explained that employees should ideally prepare their reports during the first half of the pay period, from the first to the 15th day.
However, many fail to do so and only begin working on their reports on the 15th or 30th, the deadline for submission.
Archival explained that payroll processing can be delayed when even one worker fails to complete the required documents on time, as salary releases are often processed in batches.
He said a single incomplete record could hold up the processing of an entire group of employees.
Families affected
The issue surfaced after City Councilor Harold Kendrick Go disclosed that 956 JO workers had not received their salaries for the first three months of 2026.
Records presented before the City Council also showed that some workers were still waiting for compensation for services rendered as early as October.
The reported backlog prompted the City Council to seek explanations from concerned offices and call for the immediate release of unpaid salaries and honoraria.
Go earlier warned that the prolonged delay had affected hundreds of households dependent on the workers’ income.
“A total of 956 families have been affected. This should not be delayed, especially by the government,” Go said.
While acknowledging existing bottlenecks, Archival said the City has begun implementing measures to speed up payroll processing.
He said departments have started preparing templates and handling documentation on a daily basis to prevent paperwork from piling up.
“Now, during the second half of the period, if there are any delays, they will be minimal because job order workers are already preparing their accomplishment report templates daily alongside their regular duties,” he said.
He expressed optimism that salary releases would improve in the coming months as departments streamline procedures and workers become more familiar with documentary requirements.
The Human Resource Development Office earlier said some JO workers have already received salaries covering the January-to-March period, while additional releases are expected once the remaining requirements are completed and processed. / CAV