Mayor to elaborate on revamp in address

A REVAMP of Cebu City Hall’s 23 department heads will be announced by  Mayor Michael Rama in his State of the City Address (SOCA) on July 1.

Rama confirmed the revamp in last Friday’s meeting with department heads, General Service Office (GSO) chief Rolly Ardusa said.

Ardusa said Rama told department heads to prepare themselves for a possible revamp.  They were asked to make a self-assessment first of their own performance.

“He told us that he really does not want to do a revamp but he might need to,” Ardusa told Cebu Daily News.

The revamp will cover over 50 boards and commissions. Ardusa said the mayor didn’t elaborate on  other details of the revamp.

Cebu City Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young said he heard that Cathy Yso, head of the Department of Social Welfare and Services (DSWS), will be included in the revamp.

Yso, then executive secretary of former Mayor Tommy Osmeña, was appointed to the DSWS.

“The council won’t agree to that. If he will do that, he will get a response from us,” said Young.

Most of the City Hall department heads were appointed by Osmeña, who had a falling out with Rama recently over the clearing operations in Mahiga Creek.

The mayor quit the administration Bando Osmena-Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK) on June 2.

In last Friday’s meeting, Rama reminded the department heads to assess their own performance and their department’s performance.

Yso was unable to attend the meeting last Friday due to prior appointments.

On July 1, Rama will also announce the results of the assessment of over 5,000 City Hall casual employees whom he asked to reapply.

City public information officer Carlo Dugaduga said Rama ordered  department heads to focus on delivering basic services while he is away on a five-day trip to Israel. Correspondent Fatrick Tabada with a story from Chief of Reporters Doris C. Bongcac