THE Cebu City Council is questioning the award of a P4 million supply contract for special ID cards for local government employees, senior citizens and other beneficiaries.
The project has no clear budget outlay and its need may be a wasted effort in view of the national government’s plan for a national ID system.
“We have no budget for the ID cards. We don’t know where they (executive department ) are going to charge it,” said Councilor Margot Osmeña, chairperson of the committee on budget and finance, during Wednesday’s regular council session.
The contract was awarded to allCard Plastic s Philippines Inc. for the production of 78,000 Unified Beneficiary Smart Card ID Cards for City Hall employees, and beneficiaries like senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWDs).
Roy Ebora, president and COO of all Card Plastics Philppines, said the company joined a public bidding last year and submitted a P4 million bid.
Councilor Sisino Andales expressed surprise that the council knew of the bidding six months after and the identity of the company.
He said the purchase would be a wasted effort because the national government is preparing a budget for a National ID system for all Philippine residents.
“We can recall the money for that purpose because we were not aware that there was a bidding,” he said.
But Ebora said the bill calling for a national ID system was still in the Senate for deliberation and that “At this point in time there is no National ID”.
Andales also questioned the design and colors of the ID Card – yellow and green – which happen to be the party colors of Mayor Michael Rama’s Team Rama.
Ebora said the design and choice of color were provided by the city’s Department of Social Welfare and Services.
Cebu City Administrator Lucelle Mercado in a separate interview said the ID project was proposed to the council but its budget was not approved.
“So there was an initial budget under the DSWS where the initial P4 million was charged. But I have to clarify this with Dr. Ester Concha about what account the charge was made. She has the budget,” Mercado said.
Concha ,DSWS head, is on leave and will report back on Monday.