Dagupan budget row imperils jobs of 700 workers

DAGUPAN CITY—At least 700 emergency workers of the city government may lose their jobs and slow down vital government services if the city budget this year is not approved soon, Mayor Belen Fernandez said.

Fernandez said the city will have no choice but to operate on a reenacted budget, which does not include an appropriation for the salaries of these workers, considered as “job order” personnel.

Job order workers refer to people or groups paid under a lump sum appropriation for a short duration. They have no employer-employee relation with the government.

Fernandez said her office submitted the city’s proposed P691-million budget for 2015 to the city council on Oct. 2 last year.

In a TV interview, Councilor Alfie Fernandez said the council is still scrutinizing some items in the proposed budget.

Under the law, the council has 90 days from the beginning of the fiscal year to enact the budget, which is in the form of an appropriation ordinance. Otherwise, the appropriation ordinance of the preceding year would be reenacted.

Fernandez said without emergency workers, several offices may not be able to deliver the needed services to residents.

Offices that will be affected by the budget issue include the city disaster risk reduction and management council (CDRRMC), Public Alert and Response Management Center (PARMC), waste management division, city social welfare and development office, city action service team, city health office, city engineering office, public order and services office, market division and the city nutrition office. Gabriel Cardinoza, Inquirer Northern Luzon