SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique – The Antique provincial government is in a dilemma where to get the salaries of job order (JO) workers because until now the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) has not approved the province’s more than P1.4 billion proposed 2019 annual budget.
Antique governor Rhodora Cadiao said during Monday’s press conference that the plan now is to momentarily ask around 1,500 job orders to cease reporting to work until there is an assurance that they could be given their salaries.
“Meantime that there is still no sure budget for the provincial government to give them, the JOs will have to cease from reporting to work,” she said.
She said that only JOs whose jobs are very vital to the provincial government would be retained while the others will have to stop reporting to work.
“The JOs supposedly contribute a lot in the delivery of services,” she said.
SP Member Pio Jessielito Sumande, on the other hand, said this coming Thursday the SP will again meet for their regular session.
“As for me, the 2019 budget should already be approved then,” he said.
He said when they meet this January 17, members of the provincial board who are meticulous over the budget could also approve such.
“We will wait for the final recommendation of the Appropriation Committee on Thursday but hopefully they will not cut the budget for the Aid to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) amounting to PHP6 million because this is really intended for the poor,” he said. (PNA)
