Outgoing Davao City Mayor Inday Sara Duterte on Monday hailed city employees and officials for being “true public servants even working beyond what is expected” to ensure that the city government never falters in delivering the needed services to the people despite some challenges.
This, as Mayor Sara attended her last Monday flag-raising ceremony to bid goodbye to the city employees before taking up the second-highest post as Vice President of the Republic of the Philippines by noon on June 30, 2022. She took her Oath of Office as the Vice President of the Philippines on Sunday, June 19, 2022.
Speaking before the city government officials and employees, Mayor Sara said, “Daghang salamat kaninyo sa inyong suporta sukad atong 2010 to 2013, ug sukad 2016 hangtod karong katapusan sa Hunyo. Daghang salamat sa pagkuyog kanako sa atoang Byaheng Do30, it has been an eventful six years, the city experienced both triumphs and tough times and through it, all the local government never faltered and this is all because of you and your hard work (Thank you for supporting me since 2010 to 2013, and 2016 until the end of June. Thank you for joining me in our ByahengDo30, it has been an eventful six years, the city experienced both triumphs and tough times and through it, all the local government never faltered because of you and your hard work).”
“I would like to formally bid you all goodbye in the City Government of Davao. Leading Davao City has been a learning, humbling and eye-opening experience one with many sleepless nights as well as days filled with tears of both grief and joy. It is an experience that I am glad to have shared with all of you. It has been an honor and privilege to serve as your city mayor, it has been an honor serving Davao City beside all of you.”
The mayor noted the hardwork and work dedication of the city employees, the department heads, and members of the Sangguniang Panglungsod for keeping the city government offices running in her absence during the campaign period, delivering services, the vaccination programs. She was grateful for the support of the vice mayor, department heads, chief of offices, city councilors who managed the city smoothly during her absence.
The mayor said that the city government is an agency that everyone can be proud of due to the presence of employees at all levels who “work beyond what is expected, and are “true public servants”.
Clenching the vice presidency, according to the mayor is also due to programs worth emulating that the city has accomplished with the help of the employees.
One of the legacies she can leave for the employees, she said, is the increase of salaries of the workers under contracts of service and job orders beyond the minimum wage set by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to ensure that no employee shall receive a salary less than 10,000 per month. The city also augmented additional increases starting January 2020 and gave loyalty pay for personnel who have served for more than 20 years but were not appointed as plantilla or regular employees
“Gihimo namo ni para ang atong sweldo sa JO ug contracts of service duol na sa sweldo sa plantilla. Gipaningkamutan namo ni kay kahibalo mi nga ang inyong kahago parehas lang (We did this so that the salary of the JO and contracts of service are close to the salary of the plantilla. We did this because we know that you are putting the same amount of effort ),” the mayor said. Appointments are also signed twice a year in June and December since 2018 to ensure security of tenure with priority to those who are working in Davao for a long time.
The mayor has also asked for the employees to serve the next administration with the same level of support.
“I leave you now in the capable hands of the next set of city officials and I ask that you extend to them the same level of support and cooperation that you have given to me,” Mayor Inday said. CIO
