TO BOOST efficiency at Cebu City Hall, Mayor Nestor Archival is pushing for the use of an online attendance system amid long queues during clock-ins and clock-outs.
Archival said the current system causes significant productivity loss, especially with job order employees still using manual punch cards while regular and casual workers use biometric scanners.
“If there are 50 people and each person wastes two hours a day, we’re actually wasting millions of pesos,” the mayor pointed out, underscoring the financial impact of inefficiency
Archival said during a recent flag ceremony, stressing the need for “continuous improvement” in government operations.
He recalled a 1984 visit to Japan, where small changes in systems led to major efficiency gains — an approach he believes Cebu City should adopt.
To address the issue, the City Hall’s human resource department is testing a mobile attendance app in two departments. The app allows employees to log in using their phones, with location tracking to ensure accountability.
If effective, the system will be rolled out citywide to reduce time spent queuing and standardize attendance monitoring.
Archival emphasized that the goal goes beyond tracking attendance — it’s about removing inefficient processes like redundant paperwork and frequent in-person log-ins that cost both time and taxpayer resources. / Ericka May Charcos, HNU Intern