Mandaue City Employees Hold Silent Protest in Support of Oliva

By: Mary Rose Sagarino – 1 min ago

MANDAUE CITY, Philippines — Mandaue City Hall employees held a brief silent protest in solidarity with the impending transfer of lawyer Regal Oliva, the city treasurer.

The silent protest took place after the flag-raising ceremony before employees started work on Monday morning, July 8.

The employees also wore black, expressing their sadness and protest over the matter.

Oliva said she was overwhelmed and touched by the support from city and government employees.

“It’s very comforting,” Oliva said.

Reassigned

Oliva is expected to be reassigned by the Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLGF) to Navotas City in the National Capital Region.

Oliva said she learned of the transfer in January this year, when her friends at the Treasury informed her. She said she had not received any official communication about the reassignment, but had only received calls from the BLGF director last April.

The city treasurer said she did not know the reason for the transfer. She stressed that permanently appointed city treasurers can only be removed from office at the request of the mayor.

“It’s totally different from this point of view where it wasn’t the mayor who made the request. Apparently, I don’t know who did it, but I was told it was from the office of the President of the House. But I never saw the official communication. It was only the Ministry of Finance that informed me,” Oliva said.

She said the Finance Ministry was also having difficulty transferring her because she had not committed any acts of corruption or bribery during her service. She believes the transfer is political, although she clarified that she was not against the reassignment.

Mayor Jonas Cortes has already sent a letter to the Department of Finance requesting that Oliva be retained as Mandaue City Treasurer, considering his contribution to the growth of Mandaue City.

Cortes described Oliva as a “lost treasure of the city.”

Cortes, on his Facebook page, also denied allegations that he blamed national officials for Oliva’s transfer.

Cortes said these accusations are an attempt to mislead Mandauehanons about the real situation in the city. He also expressed his commitment to serve during the term of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., just like during the term of Cortes’ father.

City Administrator Atty. Jamaal James Calipayan said they were also surprised by the impending transfer.

“We are also worried here because we don’t know when this will happen without warning. I don’t think it’s a good move. “I think the wala can cause problems,” Calipayan said.

Contributions

Oliva started working for the City of Mandaue as acting deputy treasurer in 2008 and was appointed permanent city treasurer in 2015. When Oliva took office, the city was operating on a budget of nearly P300 million. Today, thanks to strategic financial management and prudent decision-making, the city oversees a budget exceeding P7 billion.

Oliva also fully automated the city’s tax collection system, with Mandaue becoming the first city in Visayas and Mindanao to achieve full automation in 2013.

Additionally, Mandaue City obtained ISO certification in 2015, a significant achievement that reflects quality and accountability in governance.

Oliva was also instrumental in implementing online payment for all collections in Mandaue City, making the city a leader in online processes. This contribution led to the city being hailed as the Most Business-Friendly City in 2022 by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Aside from financial management, Oliva is also an advocate for community development and social justice. She served as the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Cebu City Chapter President and IBP Eastern Visayas Region Governor from 2020 to 2022, and is the National Director for Gender and Equity from 2022 to present.

Oliva also advocates for women and children’s rights as president of the Cebu Lady Lawyers Association (CELLA) and internal vice president of the Zonta Club of Cebu II. She is also executive vice president of the Philippine Association of Local Treasurers and Assessors (PHALTRA) and an advocate for LGBT rights.

Oliva said she had already been interviewed by Navotas City Mayor John Rey Tiangco and was only waiting for confirmation from the Department of Finance regarding the transfer.

“If this happens, then I will be a good soldier of the government and I will not cause any hesitation to transfer and have a smooth transition of power and functions with the city treasury,” Oliva said.

Oliva thanked the city government and the business community for their support, cooperation and diligent payment of their taxes.

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