Prepare updates for projects, Cebu City engr’g dept told

NO new projects will be approved by the Cebu City Council for next year until the  Department of Engineering and Public Works (DEPW) provides updates of projects funded for implementation this year.

Majority Floor Leader Augustus Pe Jr. pushed  city engineers for this after DEPW officials said only P60 million out of P355 million worth of projects under the Annual Investment Plan (AIP) were bidded out.

Engr. Joel Reston said they’ve so far prepared Programs of Works and Estimates for P237 million of the P355 million infrastructure projects identified under the 2012 Annual Investment Plan (AIP).

Only 11 of the projects covered under the AIP were bidded out, he said.

Councilor Margot Osmeña, who heads the council’s budget committee, questioned why some items were being budgeted even when they cannot be implemented yet.

“We don’t bite more than we can chew…Budget is being tied up there and we might be taking away (funds) from other priority projects,” she said.

The council is set to  deliberate today  on the P73 million Supplemental Budget (SB) 3.

SB3 includes the P50 million appropriation for the P10,000 bonus for  each of the nearly 5,000 City Hall regular and casual workers.

Mayor Michael Rama wanted the SB3 approved for distribution of the additional Christmas bonuses during the city’s Christmas party on Friday afternoon.

In last Monday’s session, the council voiced surprise on why  P170 million for the construction of Carbon Market Unit II projects have not been started yet.

DEPW is seeking  a  P10.3 million budget for sewerage and drainage improvements which is P6.8 million more than this year’s appropriation of P3.5 million.

They’re also seeking P110 million for repair and construction of drainage system, up by P10 million in this year’s budget. Engr. June Nadine Sison, chief of DEPW’s construction division, said the P100 million drainage project already has a POWE.

But it has yet to be bidded out, he said. Reston said there were delays in bidding the projects because the City Treasurer’s Office was still processing the Approved Budget Contract for them.

Pe said the DEPW earlier promised to furnish the council with a monthly status update of city government projects.

Sison told the council that they don’t have enough personnel to prepare the reports. The official said they can only issue updates upon request. Chief of Reporters Doris C. Bongcac