LUCENA CITY––Two mayors in Quezon province are adding some color to the Valentine’s Day celebration of local government unit (LGU) employees.
Gumaca Mayor Webster Letargo /Facebook Photo
Gumaca town Mayor Webster Letargo, in a memorandum, ordered the more than 600 LGU workers to wear color-coded dresses to proclaim their love status this Friday, Feb. 11, and Monday, Feb. 14.
“In celebration of the Feast of Saint Valentine or Valentine’s Day, and … to provide a diversion … from the rigors of work, as well as a means to cushion the psychological impact of the pandemic among government employees, the following color code for the attire shall be observed in accordance [with] his/her status, effective February 11, 2022, Friday,” Letargo said in his order issued Feb. 9.
Based on the mandatory color code, married employees are required to wear red, while those “in a relationship” are directed to wear pink clothes.
Single or unattached employees should wear green; long-distance love affair – purple; complicated – blue; broken-hearted/bitter – black; and “walang pakialam” (don’t care) – yellow.
On Monday, Feb. 14, all employees are asked to wear red in celebration of Valentine’s Day.
Letargo posted a copy of the order on his Facebook.
“Happy sila (employees) diyan. Nag-aasaran na. Dapat nga may penalty. Sa magsisinungaling, mamalasin ang love life,” Letargo told the Inquirer in an online interview Thursday.
Letargo, married to former journalist Justine Espina, has two kids.
In 2020, Letargo also asked LGU employees to wear color-coded clothes to celebrate Valentine’s Day.
He explained that the unique celebration is their Gumaca-way of celebrating the love-filled day.
“We will all have a grand and lovely time to unwind as we renew our vow to serve the people faithfully,” the mayor explained.
Double pay
General Luna Mayor Matt Erwin Florido /Facebook Photo
In neighboring General Luna town, Mayor Matt Erwin Florido has repeated his Valentine’s Day treat to single or unattached LGU employees.
On Feb. 1, Florido, still single at the age of 41, issued an Executive Order granting “double pay” to every single employee who will report to work on Valentine’s Day Monday, Feb. 14.
“Ang maaaring maka avail ng double pay ay SINGLE, WALANG JOWA, WALANG KARELASYON. Ang Mayor’s Office ay may karapatang magsiyasat kung totoo ngang wala kang jowa. Muli, BAWAL ANG SINUNGALING,” Florido stressed.
The mayor posted his order on his Facebook.
He explained that the fund for the “double pay” treat would be deducted not from local government coffers but from his salary on Feb. 15.
He asked all eligible employees to register their names with the municipal human resource office (MHRO) and why they remain single.
“Ilang taon o buwan ng single, bakit ikaw ay walang jowa o nawalan ng jowa,” Florido said.
He added: “Sakaling ayaw pumasok ng empleyadong single sa Pebrero 14 at mas pinili nya na magmuni-muni at pag-aralan ang sarili, PAID LEAVE naman ang maaari niyang i-apply sa ating MHRO”.
Florido noted that the number of single employees was 43 last year. “Sana naman this year, kaunti na lang,” he said.
The mayor is known in the province as the mayor of “bayang may puso” (the town with a heart). His Facebook account carries the name “Mayor Matt Florido Withaheart.”
Last year, Florido’s Valentine’s Day treat to employees went viral on social media and translated into different dialects.
Several mayors adopted the move to spice up the life of their respective single and unattached employees.