To avoid repeat of 2010 fiasco City monitors brgy projects

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City government will closely monitor the implementation of various infrastructure projects in the city's 80 barangays to prevent the repeat of fiasco in 2010.

Mayor Michael Rama created the Project Implementation and Monitoring Office (PRIMO), whose primary job is to monitor all projects that will be funded under the P400-million financial assistance to the barangays.

The office is also created to ensure the projects are delivered on-time and implemented properly.

The financial assistance was included in the P870.8 million Local Development Fund of the 2012 Annual Budget. It is specifically appropriated for Social Development Programs, which mostly for infrastructure projects.

It was agreed that the assistance will be directly released to the barangays to empower them in implementing major projects.

“It is the policy of the present dispensation of the city to bring the government closer to the people and empower the barangay as partner in the city's development and progress,” the mayor said in Executive Order No. 12-1 he issued last month.

Coursing the projects through the barangays will also hasten their implementation.

Primary function of the monitoring office is to ensure that the projects intended for the barangays are delivered and implemented on-time within the budget and without sacrificing quality and workmanship.

The city government is avoiding a repeat of an incident in 2010 in which several barangay projects were found defective. Investigation also disclosed that there were irregularities in their implementation.

Most of the reported defective projects were awarded to one contractor, which won majority of the barangay projects in the south district.

The contractor, E.M. Arante Construction, is now barred from undertaking any project of the city government.

It, however, rectified all defective projects at no cost to the city government.

The incident was investigated by the three-man committee created by the mayor.

The result of the investigation disclosed that the irregularities in the implementation of projects happened because the proper procedures were not observed. Barangay officials said they were not familiar with the procedures.

However, the committee endorsed the case to the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas.

While the case is pending at the Ombudsman, the city government continues to grant aids to barangays and gave them another chance to prove that they can implement projects properly on their own.

The PRIMO will assist the barangays in the implementation, procurement and liquidation.

The PRIMO will consist of the mayor or his authorized representative as the chairman and the city engineer, city treasurer, city accountant, city attorney and city planning officer or their authorized representatives as members.

They will have their own standards and procedures in the disposition of the financial assistance to ensure that processes are followed as mandated by the law.

They will also give technical assistance to barangays in the creation of the Program of Works and Estimates (POWE) and its timely submission.

The PRIMO would closely monitor the projects from start of construction until their completion. — /LPM (FREEMAN)