By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

In response to criticism by provincial government-operated district hospital employees claiming they have yet to receive salaries since January, acting Negros Occidental Provincial Administrator, Dr. Lucille Gelvolea affirmed the new rules imposed by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) on government casual employees will delay the release of salaries.

“We have already discussed the problem with Atty. Anabelle Palic, provincial human resource development officer, and she said that she is currently reviewing who are the casual employees who have not yet received their salaries since the start of the year,” she said. “We are set to call a meeting of all administrative officers of the 11 district hospitals to determine how many casual employees have not yet received their salaries.”

According to the new rules, “Casual employees are now required to submit all the requirements before a plantilla is made.”

“It used to be that each employee [was] given their individual contracts,” Gelvolea explained.

With regard to nurses, the provincial official said they were previously only required to submit a photocopy of their licenses but, now, the license must also be certified by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC).

How quickly they receive the certification will determine how quickly they receive their assignment, she added.

Gelvolea noted the problem has reached Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon, Jr., who has since ordered Palic to take action./DGB, WDJ