COA flags Leyte town for hiring too many job order employees

DISALLOWANCE. The Commission on Audit (COA) is hearing an appeal of a P36 million disallowance against the Tacloban City local government. Photo by Darren Langit/Rappler

MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Audit (COA) has flagged the municipal government of Julita, Leyte, for hiring too many job order employees in 2019.

According to COA’s 2019 report released this week, the Julita municipal government hired 126 job order employees – way more than the number of its regular staff.

“The municipality hired 126 personnel on job order status which is 225% over its regular employees of 56, and 185% over its plantilla positions of 68,” state auditors said in the report.

COA said that the local government “must be circumspect in the hiring of job order personnel.”

“Vacant regular positions should be filled up first and redundant or unnecessary job orders such as those that duplicate the work of regular employees should be cut,” it added.

COA said the Office of the Mayor had the biggest number of job order hires – 24 – followed by the Municipal Health Office, 20; and the Office of the Municipal Treasurer, 10.

“We recommended that the LGU, through the Office of the Human Resource Management should review and justify the necessity of hiring too many job orders,” the COA said.

In response to the COA's observation, the town’s human resources office informed COA that the municipal government stopped hiring new job order personnel and was reviewing its staffing pattern. – Rappler.com