THE Commission on Audit (COA) has flagged the Cebu City Government for hiring 264 job order (JO) personnel in 2024, many of whom performed duties meant for regular employees — a practice that violates civil service laws.
In its report, the Commission on Audit (COA) said the City’s heavy reliance on JO contracts, instead of permanent appointments, could compromise the quality of public service and disregard the merit-selection principle in government employment.
The auditors noted that the Human Resource Development Office (HRDO) had 5,224 JOs on its payroll as of Dec. 31, 2024.
According to COA, the practice runs counter to Republic Act 7160, or the Local Government Code, and to Civil Service Commission (CSC) issuances.
Auditors also found that many JOs lacked the skills and experience required for positions that should be filled by permanent staff.
A review showed that 46 JOs listed as revenue inspectors were collecting taxes — work assigned to the 14 regular local treasury operations assistants and two regular revenue collection clerks. Another 119 JOs served as traffic enforcers, duplicating the functions of 24 regular traffic aide 3 employees and 36 traffic aide 2.
COA pointed to other systemic lapses, one of which is repeated rehiring — 13 JOs had been rehired for the same posts for two to five consecutive years.
The commission recommended that the HRDO:
Prioritize filling vacant permanent positions through external hiring or by regularizing qualified casual employees.
Match functions to status by identifying JOs who perform duties meant for regular personnel.
Create permanent posts for duties deemed essential to city operations.
Review the qualifications of current JOs to see who can meet CSC standards for regularization. / EHP