Ben Madilynn
THE Commission on Audit (COA) has flagged the Mandaue City Government for its failure to fill over half of its approved plantilla positions by the end of 2023.
Despite the availability of P766,165,842.35 allocated for personnel services, state auditors said that the City’s unfilled positions denied the public more efficient service and qualified applicants job opportunities.
In its recommendation, the COA urged the City Government to expedite the hiring process and to consider job order personnel for these vacant posts.
The Human Resource Management Office (HRMO) was also advised to reevaluate the current plantilla to better address the city’s operational needs.
“We recommend that Management (HRMO) fill in the vacant plantilla positions with due consideration for the existing job order personnel who are qualified for the positions and fast-track the hiring process,” auditors said.
City Administrator Jamaal James Calipayan, in response to the observation, said that only around 250 of the 772 positions flagged by COA were allocated with funds.
He stressed that the City has been actively recruiting qualified candidates, with job vacancies posted as early as 2019.
“When Mayor Jonas Cortes resumed his post, the plantilla had around 600 positions. One of his priorities has been to professionalize the plantilla and create a comprehensive plan for the entire local government unit,” Calipayan said in Cebuano.
“Since 2021, we have been creating new positions through city ordinances, with additional posts created in 2022 and 2023 across several offices,” he added.
However, Calipayan acknowledged that the City has faced budget constraints in filling these positions.
“We have a budget ceiling of 45 percent for personnel services, meaning the amount we allocate for regular positions cannot exceed 45 percent of our general income for the past two years,” he said.
Calipayan said the hiring process is ongoing and that the City receives numerous applications for each vacancy.
He added that each applicant is entitled to be interviewed and evaluated to determine if they are qualified. Every day, they receive over 10 applicants for a single position.
“After the initial interviews, the shortlisted candidates are forwarded to the appointing authority, where the mayor makes the final selection. Once the mayor selects the qualified applicant, the appointment is signed by the acting mayor and furnished to the Civil Service Commission (CSC) for evaluation. If CSC finds the appointee unqualified, the appointment is disapproved, and the process restarts,” Calipayan added.
He also addressed COA’s concerns by stating that the hiring process is extensive, contributing to the delays in filling the positions.
“The positions flagged by COA are already considered ‘in progress.’ That’s how long it takes to complete the entire process,” Calipayan said in Cebuano. / CAV
