• THERESA MAE DULMAN
Councilor Celia Flor is pushing for the “Open Infrastructure and Public Oversight Ordinance of Bacolod City,” which underwent a committee hearing yesterday.
The primary goal is to enforce transparency, accountability, efficiency, and inclusivity in all government infrastructure projects within Bacolod City.
“People can monitor the project of the city government. They should know where the budget goes and if the project is implemented properly and not substandard,” Flor said.
The measure aims to create structures that will allow the public to participate and scrutinize the planning, execution, and monitoring of all publicly funded construction.
A Multistakeholder Oversight Group will be created to monitor, audit, and provide information to the public.
It will be composed of representatives from the government sector, including the City Engineer’s Office; private sector from accredited chambers; and Civil Society Organizations.
“They can check the project in terms of what kind of project, how much, when did it start, and when will it end, because that is the demand of the people,” she said.
Flor added there is also an existing website for the city where the residents can monitor the project as well as an executive order mandating quick response (QR) code to ongoing government projects.*
