HUNDREDS of families in Cebu City are facing financial hardship as nearly 1,000 "job order" (JO) workers wait for their overdue pay. According to the Human Resource Development Office (HRDO), the delays are caused by a mix of missing documents and slow processing through various government departments.
Why the paychecks are late
HRDO head Henry Tomalabcad explained that many workers have not yet submitted required documents. To get paid, workers must provide:
• Birth certificates from the Philippine Statistics Authority
• NBI clearances
• Health certificates
• Drug test results
Tomalabcad clarified that his office only prints the payrolls and is not the cause of the hold-up. Instead, each department has its own staff who must calculate salaries and encode them into the system before they can move forward.
A long wait for families
The delay has become a major concern for local leaders. Councilor Harold Kendrick Go reported that some workers have not been paid for work done as far back as October 2025.
“956 families are affected. This should not be delayed, especially in the government,” Go said. The total amount of unpaid salaries has now reached an estimated P84 million. While some workers received pay for January through March, many others are still waiting for their requirements to be cleared.
The path to payment
Before a worker gets their money, the payroll must pass through several offices:
• The individual Department (where the work is done)
• City Budget Office
• City Accountant’s Office
• Office of the City Administrator
• City Treasurer’s Office
Additionally, the City Council must review and approve hiring proposals under the 2026 Budget Ordinance, which adds more time to the process.
Pressure to pay before Holy Week
The City Council is now urging Mayor Nestor Archival to speed up the payments. Leaders set a deadline of Friday, March 27, for the money to be released, noting that families need these funds for household expenses and religious observances during Holy Week.
To prevent this from happening again, the City Council has scheduled a special meeting on April 7. During this session, they will investigate why the delays lasted so long and hold the responsible offices accountable. / CAV