This was made as the categorical answer to the persistent issues that ghost employees allegedly abound in the provincial government and a ‘ghost’ (non-existent worker) was even awarded Most Outstanding Employee of the Month. In answering the question posed anew during last Friday’s regular media forum Kita ug ang Gobernador, Gov. Edgar Chatto said there are no such kinds of workers in his administration. When the issue came up about a month ago, an inquiry was done to see if there is truth to such reports. Provincial Administrator Alfonso “Ae” Damalerio II was tasked to coordinate with the Human Resource Management and Development Office to look into it. In explaining the issue, Damalerio said if “ghost” means a worker is not seen physically in the office, indeed there are workers that functions in field and outside tasks, other than sitting inside a Capitol office.

The provincial government has also workers who are not office-based but are doing coordinative functions with other government agencies. Some also does follow-up jobs, deliver communications to different offices and the nature of their works require them to go out and go places,” Damalerio explained. “Unsa may mahitabo kon tanang na lang empleado naa ra sa sulod sa opisina (what will happen if all employees just stay inside the office),” Damalerio threw back the question in stressing the exigency of workers doing jobs outside Capitol offices. Referring to the reports that an employee of the Bohol Detention and Rehabilitation Center (BDRC), now under the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology and known as the Bohol District Jail, Damalerio said a report was already been submitted to the HRMDO office clarifying the issue. Awarding model employees has many criteria, including performance evaluation among others. Awardees are also nominated by their fellow co-workers who assessed and have personal knowledge on the competence and integrity of a fellow worker.

“It would not be possible that a fellow worker would nominate another worker which is not even seen working or such as those called a “ghost” employee,” Damalerio stressed. In the present Chatto-Lim administration, monthly performance recognition in the form of awards is given to employees rendering exemplary performances on their duties and functions. Such practice had been nationally recognized with an award for Bohol as the Best Governed Province in the recent Department of Interior and Local Government annual recognition rites. Governor Chatto himself is an exemplary public servant recognized by the Civil Service Commission as a Lingkod ng Bayan national awardee. (FCA)