BAGUIO CITY – The City Council approved on first reading a proposed ordinance requiring all contractors undertaking city and national funded projects in the city to secure clearance from the local legislative body and imposing penalties for violations of the measure.
The ordinance authored by Councilor Joel Alangsab stated that all contractors undertaking city and national funded infrastructure projects in the city will be required to first secure the needed clearance from the local legislative body prior to the prosecution of their awarded projects.
Under the proposed measure, the guidelines in securing the local legislative body clearance include the submission to the City Engineer program of works and engineering design; contracts entered into by the contractors with the local government and the Department of Public works and Highways and other national line agencies and clearance from the punong barangay where the infrastructure project will be implemented.
The City Engineer, after review of the submitted documents, shall make the appropriate recommendation to the local legislative body whether or not to grant the requested clearance.
The ordinance stipulated that the head of the Department of Public works and Highways (DPWH) and other national government line agencies charged in the prosecution of any infrastructure project undertaken by their winning contractors shall be responsible in monitoring whether a copy of the plan including its engineering design and contract is submitted to the local legislative body and the City Mayor through the City Engineer.
The ordinance added that the City Engineer shall see to it that all infrastructure projects undertaken in the city funded by other government agencies has secured clearances and have submitted all the necessary requirements stated in the proposed measure.
According to the proposal, the head of agency will also be tasked to monitor the implementation of the project and shall see to it that the same is executed pursuant to the submitted plans, programs and schedule of activities.
Any contractor and heads of agencies found violating any provision of the proposed ordinance shall be meted with the penalty of a fine of P3,000 or an imprisonment of 3 months or both at the discretion of the court for the first offense and a fine of P5,000 or an imprisonment of 6 months or both at the discretion of the court for the second and succeeding offenses.
The ordinance noted that the national and local governments are reportedly spending millions of pesos for infrastructure projects for the betterment of the city, however, the concerned officials do not have control over the program of work of the projects as well as the outcome of the same.
According to the proposal, the extreme weather and topographical condition of the city requires that all infrastructure projects must be implemented in a superior quality for the overall benefit of the greater majority of the populace.
The ordinance asserted that history teaches the people that substandard quality projects are often times a threat to lives and properties of the people, especially during the onslaught of natural calamities caused by extreme weather conditions and earthquakes.
By Dexter A. See
