OUTGOING Mandaue City Mayor Glenn Bercede has defended his administration’s hiring of nearly 11,000 personnel amid concerns raised by the incoming administration regarding the size and cost of the City’s workforce.
Bercede said despite the large workforce, the City did not breach the legal allowable limit and was within budget.
Bercede in an interview on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, maintained that the City’s expenditures on personnel services (PS) remained within the 45 percent ceiling mandated by the Local Government Code of 1991.
Bercede referred to the City’s 2025 annual budget allocating P938.96 million for PS which, he said, was only 20.87 percent of the total P4.5 billion budget.
Bercede acknowledged the possibility of changes under the new administration of Mayor-elect Thadeo “Jonkie” Ouano, noting that such transitions are a normal part of governance.
“It is understandable for any new leadership to streamline the number of employees,” he said in Cebuano.
Bercede said all those hired by the outgoing administration which include job order workers, casuals, Clean and Green personnel, and Planning and Development Office (PDO) staff were actively working and not just receiving salaries without fulfilling their duties.
Mandaue City’s transition team, led by incoming Administrator Sally Malig-on had raised concerns about what they labeled as “excessive” staffing.
According to Malig-on, a review of official records showed the City is currently paying close to 11,000 workers, even though only around 1,000 were holding permanent positions.
He argued that even a modest reduction in personnel could result in significant savings potentially in the hundreds of millions of pesos that could be redirected to essential services such as medicines, and hospital infrastructure.
One of the main areas of concern flagged by the transition team was the Purok Development Office (PDO), which reportedly employed over 5,000 individuals.
Of these, 639 were classified as PDO officials receiving P4,500 monthly, while around 4,500 members were paid P1,000 each per month.
Malig-on questioned the relevance and function of these individuals, suggesting they may have been used for political purposes during the election season.
Bercede countered that the PDO has long served a vital community function.
“In my opinion, they really helped. That group was created under former mayor Jonas Cortes. It’s an important group not just in Mandaue, but in many cities and municipalities across the country,” said Bercede.
Malig-on said a full review of the City’s staffing will commence once Ouano officially takes office at noon of June 30. / CAV