What sets the employees and officials of the Cebu City Government apart from the rest of the taxpayers who reside in the city?
Do they have the power of invisibility? Some of them must have, since you can’t find them when you’re looking for them. Do they have the ability to shapeshift? They’re never there when you need them. How about teleportation? That would explain why they suddenly disappear from their offices after you were told you’d find them there.
Joking aside, though, what makes them special?
They’re public servants. Their job is to serve us, the people who toil hard and pay the taxes that pay their salaries. As far as I know, they are reasonably compensated for their efforts, even the non-qualified ones. But even in City Hall, not everybody is created equal. Some just happen to be, shall we say, more financially blessed.
And yet, despite that, they believe they are entitled to additional financial perks.
Take, for example, the upcoming Charter Day, which the City will celebrate on Monday, Feb. 24, 2025, to mark 88 years of cityhood.
I get it. We celebrate the day we transitioned from being a municipality under the Cebu Provincial Government to becoming an independent chartered city. Whoopee!
But does that justify rewarding each regular and casual employee a whopping P35,000?
For what? Have they been putting in extra hours to earn this financial windfall? Have they been working diligently to ensure everyone who visits City Hall leaves satisfied with their transaction? Even if both are true, shouldn’t that be the norm rather than the exception?
I was already dismayed when the mayor proposed a P25,000 bonus for each employee. Imagine my outrage when the City Council unanimously agreed to increase the cash incentive to P35,000.
What? Are they seriously patting themselves on the back for a job well done?
How have they addressed the rise in criminality, the return of illegal drugs to the streets, the increasing number of mendicants and homeless people, or the inconsistent garbage collection? Will residents not worry about wading through floodwater when the rains return?
I could go on listing the problems that plague the city, yet these public officials have the audacity to divert much-needed funds for themselves.
Recently, the executive department asked for an additional budget of P635 million. Did you know the allocation for the employees’ bonus came only second at P150 million to the allocation to build the eighth to 10th floors of the Cebu City Medical Center at P210 million? Road asphalting and livelihood programs have been allocated P140 million and P100 million, respectively.
Isn’t it shameful they would prioritize themselves over livelihood programs?
I know I am ranting yet again. It’s my right as a taxpayer. You see, I don’t have a choice about paying taxes, while they had a choice to practice restraint and delicadeza, especially with the elections a few months from now.
Do you think voters will forget this flagrant waste of taxpayers’ money? Sadly, the unanimous decision leaves voters with poor choices for candidates either way.