• CHERYL G. CRUZ
Incoming Bacolod Mayor Greg Gasataya said he will not allow ghost job order (JO) employees in the city government, as what has been started during the Benitez administration, and called for a voluntary drug testing of JOs.
“We will not allow ghost JOs; that was started by mayor Albee and I will continue it,” Gasataya said in his inaugural address during his oathtaking and inauguration as the 44th mayor of Bacolod. “Pasencya, wala migo-migo, wala kilalanay. Kun obra, obra.”
He also called on the city’s JOs to voluntarily undergo a drug test and attach the negative drug test result to their appointment papers. “This is not mandatory. Kun gaupod kamo sa sini nga administrasyon, antes ko magpirma sang inyo appointment, tani iupod nyo man ang resulta sang drug test nga negative kamo.”
The city has about 4,000 JOs.
Gasataya is also set to issue several executive orders (EOs) once he assumed office this afternoon, June 30.
Among the urgent matters to be prioritized are the establishment of the Bacolod City Senior Citizens Center; tree-planting, caring, and beautifying every available space with greens; governance and grassroots services for barangays; creation of a technical working group for the city’s government online app portal, or G-app; and the establishment of the youth lounge and co-working space.
He said the first 100 days of his administration will be anchored on the word HEART, which he said “is a commitment to serve with immediate, actionable solutions, founded on empathy, integrity, and compassion.
HEART stands for Health; Education/economic/environmental sustainability; Access to basic services/agriculture/animal welfare/technology/housing; Reliability of disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM); and Traffic management and transportation/tourism.
“We begin this journey with a clear purpose, a firm resolve, and a heart full of hope,” Gasataya said. “In the next 100 days, we may not accomplish everything, but we can surely prove that we are serious about change, and even more serious about our people.”
He also named Atty. Mark Mayo as the incoming city administrator, while Atty. Reuben Sabig will lead the Traffic Management.
Atty. Karol Joseph Chiu will remain in his post as city legal officer of Bacolod, and Atty. Marty Go as secretary to the mayor. | CGC
