29 August 2024 | 12:00 AM
CEBU, Philippines — The rollout of Cebu City’s public Wi-Fi program may be further delayed as the City Council scrutinized the budget proposal during its executive session yesterday, August 28.
The executive committee meeting was scheduled after the approval of the installation of public Wi-Fi in Sugbo and Independencia squares was postponed after questions were raised over its “high” cost of 4 million pesos.
Yesterday, the city’s Civil and Public Works Department, particularly those involved in preparing the construction plans and estimates, the city’s Bid and Award Committee, the Department of Information and Communications Technology and the contractor, Trends and Technologies, Inc., met.
The City General Affairs Department and City Management Information and Computer Services (MICS) participated in the executive meeting.
City Councilman Nestor Archival, in an interview shortly after the board meeting, said the project needs clear goals, including identifying how many people are expected to use the public Wi-Fi.
He alleged that the contractor only asked for P30,000 as mobilization fee, but MICS offered at least P300,000.
The proposal to install public Wi-Fi had already been under discussion after Councilor Jerry Guardo, chairman of the city council’s infrastructure committee, filed a resolution urging Acting Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia to sign a contract with Trend and Technologies Corp. to install public Wi-Fi outdoor access points in Cebu City for about P4 million.
“Nangayo na Sila has the powers of parliament and mayor Nga Ang maoi mopilma sa kontrata but there is something irregular about the contract with me,” Mr Archiv said.
He added that the city government’s POWE only gave a total budget of P4 million but did not give any indication of the prices of the items.
At the end of the discussion, the city council asked for an amendment to the budget proposal that would give specific prices for each item. — /RHM (Freeman)
