By Annabel Consuelo Petinglay/PNA
SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique — Job orders of the provincial government of Antique stage a rally in front of the capitol while the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP or Provincial Board) was holding their session Thursday morning.
The job orders, more than 100, demanded the Board members to approve the 2019 Annual Budget, which include their salaries.
Lucia M. Macavinta, who supervises the Cleanup Brigade at the Evelio B. Javier Park and at the Angel Salazar Memorial General Hospital, said they are lobbying for the passage of the annual budget. “We are in charge in the maintenance of the cleanliness of the park and also at the hospital,” she said.
She added the job orders will continue to express their sentiments until such time that the SP will approve the 2019 budget.
Meanwhile, another job order Emma Ruth Tolentino said that they are getting desperate because their contracts were processed as early as December 2018. “We are asking the SP to already approve the budget for our salaries because we also need to feed our families,” she said.
Tolentino also said that she felt bad about the budget slash, particularly at the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) where she is assigned because they could no longer extend financial assistance to the elderlies, 85 years old and above.
“Our grandfathers and grandmothers could no longer receive the financial assistance this year,” she said.
The donations to PSWDO from the amount of PHP10 million has been cut to PHP8 million only, thus, the Kabalaka or financial assistance to the elderlies could no longer be given.
“The aid to individuals in crisis situation (AICS) could also not be extended with the PSWDO slashed budget,” Tolentino said.
