Singapore travel questioned Council says proposed budget ‘too much’

CEBU, Philippines - The members of the Cebu City Council has scrutinized over half million proposed budget on the travel expenses aof 12 City Local Housing Board members who are recipients of a three-day exchange and visit program in Singapore.

Councilor Alvin Dizon, chairman of the committee on housing, said the cost of the seminar was “too much” to be charged against the Social Housing Trust Fund, pointing out that the city lacks funds for its socialized housing program. 

“The Committee on Housing interposes no objection to the Local Housing Board’s three-day visit to Singapore. However, the committee believes that the cost of the trip is too much. The committee believes that the trip worth P564,000 could already fund one site development project for the city’s relocation sites. The committee also believes that it is only prudent that the city government do not spend anything for something that remains to be ‘exploratory’,” part of the report read.

Dizon said, “The hard reality is that the city’s funds for its socialized housing program are never enough to address the increasing housing needs of its urban poor.” 

Instead of allocating funds for the said travel, Dizon said the city government must prioritize the use of its “limited funds” for projects that would effectively and efficiently address the basic needs of the Cebuanos.

He said the Socialized Housing Trust Fund shall only be used for a socialized housing project within the city to be benefited by the city’s residents.

For the air fare and hotel accommodations of the 12 participants including council’s chairman of the Local Housing Board Councilor Hanz Abella and social services chairman Councilor Gerardo Carillo, City Assessor lawyer Ferdinand Cañete, Department of Welfare and Urban Poor head lawyer Collin Rosell, legal officer lawyer Carl Sasuman; city engineer lawyer Jose Marie Poblete, Apas Barangay Captain Ramil Ayuman, city planning and development officer Engineer Joel Reston, city budger officer Marietta Gumia, Ellen Cañete of Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council, Grace Solis of National Housing Authority, and Evangeline Abejo of Urban Poor Solidarity Federation, the city is supposedly be paying P45,000 each person or a total of P564,000.

The visit eyed to integrate advanced housing programs of Singapore and the City of Cebu; exchange cultural, social, economic and governmental experiences; strategies in implementing housing projects for the homeless and underprivileged constituents of the city.

Councilors Hanz Abella and Gerardo Carillo authored a resolution asking approval from the council for the LHB visit program and appropriation of funds following the proposed unsolicited proposal of a Singapore-based firm.

In a letter dated May 23, Surbana a Singapore-based consultancy firm expressed intent for an unsolicited proposal on the master planning of the city’s pipeline housing project, inviting the LHB for an exchange-visit. The company specializes on sustainable urban solutions including urban planning, design, engineering, project and construction management, city management and building technologies.

However, Sisinio Andales, a lawyer by profession, stressed that the said visit poses “conflict of interest,” knowing that Surbana has interest to partner with the city.

“Why send delegates? We can save money with our existing high-tech gadgets. We can research and study without personally going to the area,” he added.

Furthermore, Dizon said the three-day visit may be pursued but at no cost to the city or the expenses may be charged to other sources of funds in coordination with the Office of the Mayor.  (FREEMAN)