Legal office to study city contracts, agreements

CEBU, Philippines - Contracts and agreements the city government will enter into will have to undergo evaluation by the city attorney before further action by the City Council and the mayor himself.

Councilors agreed to adopt the system to avoid possible legal issues that might arise from contracts and Memorandum of Agreements the city will enter into private individuals and entities.

What has been practiced is that the Council will just go through and subsequently approve contracts and agreements itself. Councilors voted to change this practice en masse. 

In its regular session last Friday, the City Council deferred the approval of the proposed resolutions of Councilor Alvin Dizon on the MOA to be signed by Mayor Michael Rama, the Department of Tourism and the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

The MOA involves the creation of a tourism statistical system for which Cebu city is the pilot area.

The Council also deferred the renewal of the agreement with the Cebu Federation of Women’s Club Center on the latter’s occupation at the Cebu City Health Department.

Under the agreement, the city government will pay the electrical and water bills for the women center from November 2009 to December 2010.

Young also instructed City Councilor Roberto Cabarrubias, head of the City Council’s committee on infrastructure, to check into some programs of works and estimates (POWE) especially on projects that only involves small amounts.

Young expressed concern over a project involving the placement of footpaths in different barangays, which reportedly has not yet materialized. The City Council has approved 14 programs of works and estimates. (FREEMAN)