ANTIQUE — The Provincial Government of Antique is planning to establish a special unit aimed at expediting the processing of salaries and benefits of hospital workers, particularly those under Contract of Service (COS), Provincial Administrator Robin Rubinós said.
The proposed unit, dubbed the “health lane,” will be placed under the Provincial Accountant’s Office and will focus on handling payroll and related transactions for personnel of the Angel Salazar Memorial General Hospital (ASMGH) and all district hospitals in the province.
Rubinós said the initiative comes in response to persistent delays in salary releases, especially among COS workers at ASMGH, which have reportedly reached up to three months.
To address this, the province plans to deploy 17 newly hired personnel to man the unit, each equipped with a computer. While the team will operate under the supervision of the Provincial Accountant, their funding will eventually be charged to the Provincial Health Office. The unit will be stationed on the second floor of the accounting office, near the conference room.
Implementation is targeted by July, as the provincial government still needs to complete the hiring and training of personnel in May, along with the procurement of necessary equipment.
In parallel, the Provincial Accountant’s Office has proposed a 14-working-day timeline for payroll processing, in line with the directive of Gov. Paolo Javier. The timeline will cover the entire process—from the submission of Daily Time Records (DTRs) by the Human Resource Management Office to the actual release of salaries.
Pending full implementation, Gov. Javier has issued Memorandum Order No. 111-A, directing that all hospital-related transactions, particularly those concerning salaries and wages, be treated as urgent and prioritized over other transactions.
“Health is essential, and the people who deliver services for our health must be compensated on time. Our hospital workers carry a heavy responsibility every day, and it is only right that we ensure their salaries and benefits are given without delay,” Javier said.
A coordination meeting is scheduled next week involving key offices, including ASMGH, the Budget Office, the Accounting Office, and the Provincial Treasurer’s Office, to assess the feasibility of the proposed 14-day processing timeline.
Rubinós clarified that delays are not solely attributable to the accounting office. He noted that late submission of DTRs and errors in documentation from administrative officers have also contributed to the backlog. These issues often require documents to be returned for correction, further prolonging the process.
He added that repeated errors may warrant disciplinary action, emphasizing the need for accurate and timely submission of documents to ensure faster salary processing./PN
