6 cite ‘politics,’ leave Cebu City urban poor welfare office

A SECTION head and five community organizers were the latest to resign from Cebu City’s Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor (DWUP).

Allanmar Cataluna, former head of the tenure section head, said he could no longer stand the “politics” in the office and that the new head, Collin Rosell, lacked a clear vision for the division.

In his resignation letter, he said he enjoys working with the oppressed and the underprivileged but “this time I realize that I have other commitments to fulfill.”

Rosell said the exit of the six is “expected to affect DWUP operations in a way, but in reality the big number of personnel that I had before is now outperformed by the smaller number of personnel that I have left.”

From a staff of 55 when Rosell took over as DWUP head three months ago, the number was trimmed to 41 with the nonrenewal of some contracts, and to 35 with the recent resignations.

Rosell said he would reorganize and name a replacement for Cataluna since there were “a lot of people” being endorsed by City Hall consultants to the DWUP. Rosell said they had to go through the regular hiring process.

“Let it be,” said Mayor Michael Rama of the departures.

“Let them come up with their own reasons. What’s important is that we didn’t tell them to resign.”

Cataluna said DWUP should let only people with experience in community organizing to serve the urban poor who comprise 70 percent of the city’s population. Chief of reporters Doris C. Bongcac