• CHERYL G. CRUZ
Members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod are pushing to institutionalize “open infra” through multi-stakeholder oversight in local infrastructure projects, to ensure transparency, accountability, and inclusivity in all government infrastructure works in Bacolod City.
The proposed “Open Infrastructure and Public Oversight Ordinance of Bacolod”, authored by councilors Celia Matea Flor, Em Ang, Caesar Distrito, and Dindo Ramos, seeks to form and institutionalize a multi-stakeholder oversight group (MSG) to monitor, audit, and provide the public with full access to information regarding local infrastructure projects.
The MSG-Infra will be composed of representatives from the government and private sectors, as well as civil society organizations, with the city mayor as chairperson.
The group shall audit local infrastructure projects, ensure that these are aligned with the officially adopted Local Development Investment Program and the Annual Investment Program, and guarantee public access to information relating to all infrastructure projects, including costs, target completion dates, procurement process, contractor/s, and implementation status, among others.
“Consistent with the provisions of the Local Government Code, no project or program shall be implemented by government authorities unless consultations are complied with, and prior approval of the sanggunian concerned is obtained,” the proposed ordinance already approved on first reading said, adding that all infrastructure-related documents, contracts, progress reports, and similar documents shall also be uploaded to the LGU website, and that any citizen may request documents, under the Freedom of Information mechanism. | CGC
