The Cebu provincial government is planning to purchase 22 additional “Suroy-Suroy” buses and distribute these to local government units in the province.
Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale said during the Provincial Board’s out-of-town session in Bogo City last Monday that this is to “appease those that haven’t received their buses yet.”
Sixteen towns were earlier given buses, which cost about P2.5 million each, in order to promote the tourism program in their areas.
Magpale, who was part of the selection process, said the additional buses will be given in order to be fair to other towns and component cities.
“It was never followed. We’ll just include everyone so that everyone can have a bus,” she told reporters.
The vice governor, who is also the co-chairperson of the committee on tourism, said that the plan is already in the pipeline adding that it has always been the intention of Gov. Hilario Davide III to distribute buses to the towns and cities.
However, the bidding date is yet to be set.
Among those that already have Suroy-Suroy buses are the towns of Alegria, Argao, Asturias, Barili, Sibonga, Alcantara, Moalboal and Talisay City.
PB Member Grecilda “Gigi” Sanchez, chairperson of the committee on budget, said that the funds for the purchase of the buses will be taken from the unobligated funds in 2014.
She said during the session last Monday that a supplemental budget is needed to be passed for the purpose.
Sanchez, who is also the chairperson of the committee on provincial and municipal properties, clarified there are no documents covering the turnover of ownership of the buses from the province to the respective LGU.
This means, the province still owns all the 16 buses distributed to the different LGUs.
In response to this, PB Member Sun Shimura motioned that a memorandum of agreement be drafted for the turnover of the ownership of the buses from the provincial government to each LGU.
Although the buses are technically owned by the province, the LGUs have already been spending for the maintenance of the vehicles.
The distribution of Suroy-Suroy buses was among the tourism projects of then governor, now Rep. Gwendolyn Garcia.