Capitol mulls cut in casual workers

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD City – Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said he wants to reduce the number of casual employees at the provincial capitol to about 700 by March 2020.

“After March, we will make a decision who among the casuals will be retained unless they are facing complaints,” Lacson said.

In a press conference on Jan. 20, 2020, the governor said the provincial government has about 800 casual employees.

“I have asked Atty. Annabelle Palic, the human resource officer, if there’s a way to objectively decide who should be retained and who should be not,” the governor pointed out.

The ideal number is 700, he said.

Lacson also said that he does not want to affect the work of the departments “because I just want to reduce the number of casuals to a fixed number.”

He said that the ceiling for personal services (salaries and benefits of workers) mandated by the Department of Budget and Management is 45 percent of the annual budget.

The planned reduction to 700 is not even 45 percent, he said, as the number “might even be more.”

“We have requirements for the hospitals. I have not yet sat down with the provincial administrator to discuss the planned re-organization. It is just an idea. Nothing is definite yet,” Lacson said.