BACOLOD CITY — Several longtime Job Order (JO) workers of the Bacolod City Government were formally regularized, marking a milestone in their decades of public service and underscoring the city administration’s commitment to recognizing loyalty, dignity, and hard work among its workforce. Among those recently granted regular employment is Ronnie Cordova, 57, who has served the city for 34 years as a JO worker assigned to the City Engineering Office – Special Services Division. He is part of the plumbing team that replaces and repairs artesian well pumps in various barangays upon the city government’s receipt of requests. “We are thankful to the Mayor because after such a long time, we have finally been regularized,” Cordova said, adding that the moment came as a surprise while they were deployed in the field. “I am deeply grateful to the Mayor because this Christmas of 2025 is something I will never forget. The Mayor made us regular employees.” Cordova recalled that when he and his colleagues were summoned by the mayor, they initially had no idea of the meeting’s purpose. “I even thought we had made a mistake,” he said. Another beneficiary, Andrew Bisquerra of the City Engineering Office – Public Works Division, described the regularization as a meaningful Christmas gift for their families. Mayor Greg Gasataya said the move reflects the city’s policy of prioritizing long-serving JOs whenever plantilla positions become available. “This is what we are saying that those Job Orders who have been serving Bacolod for a long time, as much as possible, if there are available opportunities, we are prioritizing them. One factor is that they have been of service to Bacolod for a long time, which we are checking, including their performance, before we hire them as employees,” Gasataya said. The mayor added that the initiative depends on available positions and the number of JOs who have consistently performed well in serving the city. Earlier, during a flag-raising ceremony at the Bacolod City Government Center, the city regularized three other longtime public servants: Ritchie Opao (42 years of service), Vicente Candar (35 years), and Cesar Zuniega Jr. (32 years). The mayor announced their regularization as recognition of decades of quiet dedication across different administrations. The recent regularizations highlight the city government’s ongoing effort to uphold dignity in public service and acknowledge the contributions of workers who have faithfully served Bacolod beyond titles or recognition. (Bacolod City Communcations Office)