TACLOBAN CITY — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed into law the New Government Procurement Act on Saturday, July 20, marking a significant move towards enhancing the integrity and efficiency of government operations.

The version of the House of Representatives of the legislation was principally authored by House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, committee on accounts chairperson Rep. Yedda Romualdez, committee on overseas workers affairs chairperson Rep. Jude Acidre, and senior deputy majority leader Rep. Ferdinand Alexander Marcos.

The bill received final approval from the chamber in November 2023.

The New Government Procurement Act, also known as Republic Act 12009, aims to modernize, standardize, and streamline the procurement process across government agencies to prevent graft and corruption.

“RA 12009 is important because it promotes transparency and accountability among government offices. At Tingog party-list, we stand firmly behind these reforms, knowing they will ensure that every peso of taxpayer money is spent wisely and for the benefit of our people,” said Rep. Acidre, who witnessed the ceremonial signing at Malacañang Palace.
“Tingog party-list remains committed to advocating for policies that promote good governance and uphold the highest standards of public service,” Acidre added.

Key provisions of the Government Procurement Reform Act include: most economically advantageous and responsive bid: This provision identifies the bid that offers the best overall value, emphasizing not just the price but also sustainability and social impacts; most advantageous and responsive bid: This focuses on bids that not only meet all specified requirements and conditions (responsiveness) but also offer the best overall value considering both cost and other criteria (advantageous); sustainable procurement, promotes environmentally friendly practices to lessen the impact on the environment.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)

Tacloban City — The Tacloban City District Engineering Office (TCDEO) is nearing completion of a two-storey building at North Hill Arbours Integrated School. This project aims of providing an additional learning facility for the said school ensuring enough classrooms for students and teachers.

This project, funded under the 2023 Basic Educational Facilities Funds with a total contract amount of Php14,968,770.81, will comprise of six (6) classrooms designed to meet the educational needs of North Hill Arbours Integrated School. Each classroom will be equipped with modern amenities aimed at providing a conducive learning environment for students and educators alike. As construction progresses towards completion, TCDEO remains focused on ensuring that the new classrooms meet high standards of safety, functionality, and educational innovation.

“We are thrilled to collaborate with North Hill Arbours Integrated School in enhancing their facilities,” expressed Rebecca G. Yuse, District Engineer. “This project not only expands the school’s capacity but also contributes to the future success of its educational programs.”

The upcoming two-storey building is set to offer modern facilities designed to enhance the teaching and learning environment. TCDEO remains dedicated to fostering partnerships with schools to ensure that students have access to quality education in well-equipped environments.
PUBLIC INFORMATION UNIT

ORMOC CITY– The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) – Leyte 4th District Engineering Office (DEO) has successfully concluded its three-day Internal Quality Audit (IQA) held from July 16 to 18, 2024, which is an annual event that ensures conformance to the Quality Management System (QMS) in alignment with the requirements of International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001:2015.

The audit team comprised distinguished auditors from neighboring DEOs, namely Mr. Orlando C. Negradas III from DPWH Leyte 2nd DEO as the lead auditor and Engr. Lindale P. Saavedra from DPWH Southern Leyte 1st DEO as the audit member. Their expertise to maintaining high standards of quality were instrumental in the audit process of each section in the office.

During the closing meeting on the third day, the audit team presented their initial findings which included observations and recommendations aimed at further enhancing the office’s processes. These findings will be further deliberated upon at the central office.

The IQA not only ensures compliance with international standards but also reinforces the DEO’s commitment to excellence. The Leyte 4th DEO aims to further elevate the quality and efficiency of its operations, ultimately benefitting the community. (PR)

Part of its resilient cities project

TACLOBAN CITY – The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), along with a team from the Korea Environment Institute (KEI) and SusIF, recently visited Borongan City to conduct a consultation as part of the Philippine Climate Resilient Cities (PCRC) Project.
Borongan, the capital city of Eastern Samar, is one of the beneficiaries of this project, along with Batangas, Legaspi, Iloilo, and Cotabato.

The KOICA delegation, headed by Country Director Kim Eunsub, met with Mayor Jose Ivan Agda, various city government officials, partner organizations, and project stakeholders to discuss the city’s climate resiliency situation, needs, and priorities.

The delegation also surveyed several high-risk areas significantly affected by climate change, including the Lo-om River, a major river in the city.

Based on the consultations and site surveys, the project team will identify and develop meaningful interventions under the PCRC.

During the meeting, Kim emphasized that the PCRC’s focus on climate adaptation planning and capacity building will significantly help cities develop long-term climate solutions.

Mayor Agda said that the various calamities and disasters faced by the city which have led to crafting policies that protect the environment and conducting capacity building for climate adaptation.

This provided KOICA and its partners with ideas on what additional assistance they can provide to the local government unit (LGU).

Implemented from 2023 to 2026, this US$750,000(around P41 million) project aims to improve the resiliency of cities by strengthening their capacities to respond to the devastating effects of climate change.

Part of the project involves developing guidelines and case studies on climate adaptation technologies and conducting capacity-building courses in Korea and the Philippines.

Adaptation technologies for various sectors such as agriculture, forestry, energy, urban planning, water, and disaster risk reduction will be identified based on the specific needs and situations of the respective cities.

The PCRC is designed to support and complement the ongoing Climate Resilient Cities (CRC) Project of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

In March 2023, KOICA signed a Grant Arrangement with USAID, contributing US$1.25 million to the CRC Project. This project helps six cities (Batangas, Legazpi, Borongan, Iloilo, Cotabato, and Zamboanga) adapt to, mitigate, and manage the impacts of climate change and disasters.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)