Friday, March 29, 2024

Rationalization hits 1,900 ICTO workers

The rationalization program of the government has taken hold at the Information and Communications Technology Office (ICTO), with about 1,900 employees getting affected, mostly coming from the Telecommunications Office (Telof).

Telof, which is under the ICTO, provides outmoded telegram and telephone services to the public. It currently has about 3,000 workers.

Louis Casambre, executive director of the ICTO, said in an interview that he has signed the documents regarding the fate of the affected employees.

Out of the 1,900 affected workers, 1,719 of them have opted to avail of the early retirement program being offered by the government, according to Casambre. Those who did not avail of the package, meanwhile, will be given the status of a CTI (co-terminus with the incumbent).

He said most, if not all, of the affected of employees are Telof workers performing telegram or telephone work. “We’re letting them go because we’re definitely not doing those tasks anymore,” the government executive said.

But, Casambre said a few of the affected employees also came from other ICTO units such as the National Computer Center (NCC).

Casambre said the financial benefits that will be received by the outgoing employees will be computed based on their 2011 salaries, as indicated by Executive Order 77 issued by Pres. Noynoy Aquino.

“The amounts vary but the sweet spot is when the retiring employee is at least 59 years old and has rendered a minimum of 15 years of service,” the ICTO chief said.

He, however, said the agency is not yet done with the downsizing as they have been given by the Department of Budget and Management to finish the task by September of this year.

“Since we now have a more streamlined the bureaucracy, we no longer see the need for administrative personnel in every office or division. So, administrative personnel will be likely affected by next phase of rationalization,” Casambre aid.

Early this year, Casambre said the rationalization was needed to make the Telof more agile and attuned to the rapidly changing communications landscape.

A major component of the transformation strategy, Casambre said, is to transform Telof offices all over the country into e-commerce hubs since the ICTO is the same government agency authorized to issue licenses for courier services.

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