While Job Order (JO) personnel may be allowed to undergo official local travel to perform assigned tasks, they shall not be allowed to attend capacity-building programs such as trainings and seminars.
This was one of the key findings in the Sangguniang Panlalawigan’s meeting as the Committee of the Whole last Friday, Jan. 6, 2023, with members of the Local Finance Committee and representatives of the Civil Service Commission (CSC), the Human Resource Management Office and the Commission on Audit invited to shed light on the issue.
The hearing was prompted by a privilege speech delivered by Provincial Board Member Robert Fernandez during last week’s regular session in which he claimed to have received information that some JO workers are actually availing of the privilege to go on official travel.
He said that pursuant to CSC-DBM Circular No. 2, Series of 2020, Contract of Service (COS) and JO workers are not covered by Civil Service laws, rules and regulations and do not enjoy the benefits being received by permanent government empliyees such as leave, representation and travel alloamces and other bonuses and incentives.
He likewise urged the LFC to consider appropriating funds for casual appointments of at least three for the Office of the Vice Governor and one for each PBM.
During the hearing presided over by Vice Gov. Peter Cua, it was learned that PBM Fernandez asked his office’ JO employee who served as his chief of staff to attend an official activity at Hyatt Regency Manila on his behalf as he (Fernandez) could not leave the province that time.
The travel order was approved by the vice governor but apparently disapproved at the higher levels, disappointing the two-termer SP member.
Fernandez said he learned that a staff of PBM Carlo Magno Guerrero was allowed to go outside the province on official travel and claimed over P20,000 in travel expenses.
In his response, HRMO Prince Subion said that due to limited manpower at the provincial government, some JO workers are allowed to go on official travel provided it can be justified by the head of office.
For this reason, he said, a JO personnel ordered to drive an ambulance to conduct a patient to a mainland hospital is allowed to travel, but he could not get a cash advance for his expenses as only reimbursement is given.
On the other hand, Provincial Budget Officer Niña Guerrero cited the case of the Juan M. Alberto Memorial District Hospital, whose chief allowed JO employees serving as ambulance staff to attend a series of trainings in Legazpi City.
It was learned that one of PBM Guerrero’s staff had a travel order approved by the Office of the Vice Governor on Nov. 15, 2022 to attend the SP session and a regular session at the Congress to observe best practices and improve her capacity as legislative staff based on the justification provided by Guerrero.
However, it was disclosed during the Friday hearing, that while JO employees are authorized to carry out assigned tasks and be allowed to go on official local travel on reimbursement basis, they are not allowed to participate in capacity-building programs due to their non-permanent status of employment.
It was later suggested that PBM Guerrero should be the one to answer his colleague’s query on the issue.
Based on annual audit reports of local government units, the practice of allowing JO personnel to go on official local travel to attend capacity-building programs such as trainings and seminars is rampant among municipalities.
For several years now, COA has flagged the practice of several municipalities in allowing JO workers to participate in various trainings.
“Such practice displays the existence of an employer-employee relationship which is not in consonance with the nature of JO as provided by CSC Resolution No. 020790 dated June 5, 2022,” it stated.
It underscored that their employments are only for a short duration, a maximum of six months, which implies that the LGU cannot enforce a long-term program on those personnel, thus attendance to trainings or seminars should be given to those holding permanent positions.