By John Rey Saavedra/Philippine News Agency
The remains of the late Mayor Edgardo Labella will be at the Cebu City Hall from Wednesday until Friday for viewing by those who would like to pay their last respects.
Mayor Michael Rama, who took his oath as “mayor by virtue of succession” on Saturday, said in a press briefing on Monday that he and city officials anticipate an influx of people from the lowland and hinterland villages here.
The transfer of the remains from Cosmopolitan Funeral Homes in Barangay Lahug will be done on Wednesday afternoon.
Those in charge of the preparations are in talks with the Labella family regarding the holding of ceremonies at the City Hall, even as Rama said his office will ensure a smooth flow of visitors to maintain security during the three days and two nights of public viewing.
The family announced that Labella will be laid to rest at the Golden Haven Memorial Park in this city.
Meanwhile, Rama said he will not implement a revamp of city employees hired during Labella’s stint as mayor, but would subject them to evaluation.
“I will respect what I had said before. With due respect to our departed mayor, I will not rock the boat here at City Hall. But the one-month evaluation of all employees’ performance continues,” he said.
Rama said he is forming a team of human resource and management specialists and will tap the support of the People Management Association of the Philippines to institutionalize professionalism in the city government.
The mayor also assigned personnel who have his confidence to oversee, coordinate, collaborate and cooperate with the 27 departments and provide him feedback mechanism on the state of governance in the city.
“With the department heads, they will provide me with necessary inputs when I announce on December 6 our priorities and directions in the next seven months,” he said.
Rama will have until noontime of June 30, 2022 to serve as mayor of this city. (PNA)-rir
