THE provincial government of Northern Samar hired 2,181 job order workers in 2022 without approved contracts indicating duties assigned or details of their expected output, preventing government auditors from determining if there was necessity for their services.
The 2022 audit released last May 10 also revealed only job order appointments were issued by the province merely indicating the name, rate per day, duration of service, funding charges, and office assignment.
The appointments were prepared by the Human Resource Management Office, certified by the provincial accountant as to the existence of appropriation, and approved by the provincial governor.
“The chief of Records Management, Information and Administrative Division disclosed in an interview on February 7, 2023 that the Province did not prepare contracts with the JO workers unlike its contractual employees. In the absence of job contracts, the necessity and propriety of their services could not be determined,” the audit team said.
Auditors explained that aside from defining the terms and conditions of the transaction, a contract of service provides protection for both labor and management.
“Any party who may violate such terms and conditions stated in the contract of services is legally answerable as a consequence,” they pointed out.
Based on the breakdown of assignments, the provincial offices with the biggest number of JO hires were the Provincial Governor’s Office (680), Northern Samar Provincial Hospital (270), district hospitals (259), Sangguninang Panlalawigan (194), Provincial General Services Office (101), Northern Samar Provincial Jail (100), Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (80), Provincial Treasurer’s Office (71), Provincial Vice Governor’s Office (64), Laoang sub-Provincial Jail (49), Provincial Population Office (45), and Allen sub-Provincial Jail (44).
“During exit conference, the Provincial HRMDO agreed to improve the contract and to include quantified duties and responsibilities of JO workers. Likewise, the Provincial Administrator acceded to the recommendation that the nature of work or job description be included in the contract,” the audit team said.
Besides the undefined contracts, the Commission on Audit also questioned delays in the payment of JO wages ranging from two to 82 days.
The audit team said total delayed pay for JO workers amounted to P38.733 million.
The late payout was attributed to the late grant of cash advances to the designated disbursing officers.
Auditors said the JO workers who received their wages late by up to three months were assigned at the Allen District Hospital, Biri District Hospital, Capul District Hospital, Catubig District Hospital, Gamay District Hospital, Dr. GB Tan Memorial Hospital, Northern Samar Provincial Hospital, San Antonio District Hospital, and San Vicente District Hospital.
Also in the list were JO workers rendering duty at the Allen sub-Provincial Jail and the Laoang sub-Provincial Jail.
Those affected included nursing attendants, administrative aides, utility workers, and encoders.
At the sub-provincial jails, the JO workers who did not get their wages on time were jail guards and jail guard aides who were only making P200 to P300 daily.
The Offices of the provincial treasurer and the provincial accountant explained that funds for their wages could not be released on time because of the late submission of payroll documents by the source department of offices.
The provincial governor assured COA that steps will be taken to speed up the processing of JO payroll to prevent recurrence of delays.
