The local government and the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT) forged an agreement for the put up and operation of a critical digital infrastructure, particularly the National Government Data Center and a Digital Transformation Center (NGDC-DTAC), in the city.
The agreement was signed by DICT Secretary Gregorio Honasan and Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong during a virtual signing ceremony Thursday afternoon.
The agreement shall govern the design, build and co—management by the parties of the operation of the NGDC-DTC innovation hub which will include the city’s contribution of making available the project site, procurement of the design-build implementation activities to be undertaken by the local government on DICT’s behalf, co-management of the operation of the same and other rights and obligations.
Both parties acknowledged that the project requires inter-agency implementation and as such, and within their functions and mandates, they agreed that DICT shall be the project’s source agency while the city will be the implementing agency.
Further, DICT shall transfer the necessary funds to the city for the implementation of the project, subject to the availability of the funds of the source agency. The local government shall undertake the project pursuant to the approved portfolio, indicating the project objectives and expected output.
The project has been provided a budget of P892.5 million which will be downloaded to the local government for implementation.
Under the agreement, DICT shall request the release of the cash allocation from the budget department for the project; submit the documentary requirements for the project to enable the city to commence procurement activities; for the duration of the procurement activities until contract implementation and close-out, undertake the maintenance and availability of the funds to support the project towards its full completion; initiate the preparation of the technical specifications, terms of reference, project requirements and any other document as may be deemed necessary for the conduct of the procurement activities; strictly adhere to the project specifications, terms of reference, feasibility study, detailed engineering and design, delivery schedule, and such other related procurement documents forming part of the bidding; transfer the project funds to the city and co-manage the resulting NGDC-DTC.
On the other hand, the city shall finalize the project specifications, terms of reference, project requirements and any other documents as may be deemed necessary for the conduct of the procurement activities; facilitate and conduct the procurement activities for the project; ensure the evaluation and post-qualification of bids shall be limited to the documents and papers specifically provided in the bid documents and terms of reference submitted by the DICT; disburse the project funds; submit to DICT through the appropriate DICT officials a financial and physical accomplishment report at the end of each month and co-manage the resulting NGDC-DTC.
Magalong expressed his gratitude to Secretary Honasan and the DICT family for choosing the city as the site for the first ever digital transformation center in the country as it came in no better time during the ongoing pandemic.
He claimed that the pandemic did not destruct the local government in pursuing its digital transformation program as there are many available opportunities related to the project and that it would speed up the city’s projected digital transformation. By Dexter A. See
