The Cebu Provincial Board on Monday, July 20, 2026, deferred a proposed ordinance transferring 10 plantilla positions from the Office of the Governor to the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.
Provincial Board members sought clarification on budget allocations and Civil Service Commission rules, noting conflicting accounts between officials regarding whether the positions are vacant or occupied.
Provincial Board members proposed inviting Civil Service Commission officials and the provincial budget officer to explain the proper transfer procedures and budgetary implications before further action.
THE Cebu Provincial Board (PB) on Monday, July 20, 2026, deferred a proposed ordinance transferring 10 plantilla positions from the Office of the Governor to the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO).
PB members sought further clarification on the transfer process, particularly on budget allocations and compliance with Civil Service Commission (CSC) rules.
If approved, the ordinance would increase the PDRRMO’s regular plantilla positions from 14 to 24. Before acting on the measure, PB members said they wanted a clearer understanding of the legal and administrative requirements.
PDRRMO head Dennis Pastor said the 10 plantilla positions originally belonged to the office but were returned to the Office of the Governor during the previous administration.
“There are actually 10 plantilla positions in the Provincial Governor’s Office that previously belonged to the PDRRMO,” Pastor said.
“Since we have already become a department and those positions are vacant, they should be transferred back to us. The positions have no occupants yet, so we will still hire personnel,” he added.
Pastor said the positions cover administrative, operations and emergency response personnel.
Staffing concerns
Marilou Commendador of the Capitol’s Human Resource Department said the 10 plantilla positions are currently under the Office of the Governor. Six are vacant, while four are occupied.
She said the four occupied positions cannot simply be abolished and must instead be transferred through the proper CSC process.
PB Member Stanley Caminero, who sponsored the ordinance, said the transfer would align the employees’ administrative responsibilities and accountability with their plantilla positions under the PDRRMO instead of the Office of the Governor.
“Otherwise, it would appear from the perspective of the Civil Service that these employees are directly under the Office of the Governor,” Caminero said.
Procedure sought
PB Member Nilo Seno proposed inviting CSC officials to explain the proper procedure for transferring employees from one office to another.
Meanwhile, ex-officio PB Member Celestino “Tining” Martinez III said the provincial budget officer should also explain the measure’s budgetary implications.
Expansion plans
The PDRRMO currently has 14 regular plantilla positions and more than 50 personnel, including regular employees and job order workers, who support daily operations and emergency response.
The office is also planning to hire about 20 additional responders, drivers and administrative personnel. / ANV
