• CHRYSEE G. SAMILLANO
The Sangguniang Panlungsod of Bacolod City ratified yesterday the Build-Transfer-Maintain agreement between the city government and Highdata Infra Corp., for the establishment of a centralized command center, intelligent street lamp poles with video surveillance analytics, property and tax assessment system and geographical information system towards making Bacolod a ‘Super City.’
The ratification of the agreement was approved by 10 councilors, while Councilor Renecito Novero manifested his abstention during the SP’s regular session yesterday.
The public-private-partnership (PPP) agreement was formally signed by Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez and High Data Infra Inc. representative Danny Fernandez, with Councilor Al Victor Espino and lawyer Jennifer Ong Coeli serving as witnesses Monday.
This P2.1 billion, 10-year project, funded through the General Fund, will be implemented in phases. The first phase will focus on E-Governance, as it is the most feasible for immediate execution. Subsequent phases will include the establishment of a Command Center Infrastructure and the deployment of Intelligent Street Lamp Poles equipped with dynamic cameras for traffic monitoring, people monitoring, flood monitoring, and HuliCam portable cameras.
The benefits of Intelligent Street Lamp Poles to the city include enhanced traffic management, increased safety and security, better energy efficiency, improved public communication, environmental monitoring, and future-ready infrastructure.
The strategic collaboration highlights Bacolod’s commitment to becoming a more connected, efficient, and future-ready city, leveraging private sector expertise to enhance public services.
This partnership marks another major step in modernizing Bacolod’s infrastructure, setting the stage for sustainable urban development and enhanced public service delivery.*
