MORE than a month into the administration of Mayor Nestor Archival, the Cebu City Public Information Office (PIO) is still without a designated head, raising some concerns about the PIO’s reduced manpower and a leadership void.
Human Resource and Development Office (HRDO) head Henry Tomalabcab said on Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025, Archival has yet to appoint someone to head the City’s communication and information arm.
Tomalabcab said the appointment of the PIO chief, which is not a permanent position, is within the mayor’s prerogative.
He explained that under the Local Government Code, the positions of chief of City Legal Office, City Administrator’s Office and the City PIO are co-terminus employees of the current administration.
“Maybe the mayor has someone in mind that he can possibly designate,” said Tomalabcab in a mix of Cebuano and English.
Even though the PIO is still functioning, the lack of a permanent head is considered an essential concern, he added.
Tomalabcab said in his years working at City Hall, designating a PIO head has always been among the priorities of every new administration.
In an interview on Tuesday, a PIO staff member, who wished not to be named, raised concerns that the office now lacks clear direction in the absence of a head.
The staffer said there were at least two individuals considered to head the PIO, but this remains unverified.
The source added that the PIO’s manpower of 29 before the Archival administration has also been reduced to 11 individuals, mostly casual employees.
Aside from providing the public with relevant information, the City PIO also helps in crisis management, addressing issues and concerns raised against City Hall and the mayor’s office.
The source expressed hope that the current administration would soon designate an individual to head the PIO. / EHP