CEBU CITY — The Cebu City Government has sufficient funds to pay 956 job order and project-based workers whose salaries have been delayed for months, but procedural requirements and multiple layers of review are slowing the release of compensation, Mayor Nestor Archival said Wednesday, June 17, 2026.
Archival’s statement came after Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña blamed City Administrator Albert Tan for the delays during a City Council session on Tuesday, June 16. The vice mayor said workers who rendered services as early as October 2025 and from January to March 2026 remain unpaid, leaving some unable to support their families despite continuing to report for work.
Delays Attributed to Procedures
Archival said the funds are available, but salary processing requires council review and approval of job order appointments and related documents before payroll can proceed. He said committee reviews, resolutions and payroll processing create several stages where delays can occur. He also said workers must submit accomplishment reports and other required documents before payments can be released.
The mayor said responsibility for the delays is shared among several offices because appointments and payroll documents pass through multiple departments. He added that previous procedures allowed the mayor to approve manpower requests once funding was included in the budget, but amendments now require additional action from the City Council.
Vice Mayor Steps In
Osmeña sponsored a resolution encouraging affected workers from both the executive and legislative branches to bring documents related to unpaid salaries to his office, saying he would personally review complaints and determine where delays occurred. About 15 job order workers assigned to his office have continued working despite not receiving compensation, he said.
The issue comes as City Hall faces growing pressure to address unpaid salaries for hundreds of workers. Councilor Harold Kendrick Go previously raised the issue before the council and called for the immediate release of compensation. Archival maintained that payments can be released once all documentary and procedural requirements are completed.
