No uniforms yet for City Hall employees

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Human Resource Development Office chief Veronica Morelos yesterday said they cannot meet the July deadline set by Mayor Michael Rama to provide uniforms for the city’s 5,000 employees.

Morelos said some suppliers earlier expressed interest to provide the uniforms but later backed out after learning that it has to pass through the bidding process.

“Unsaon man namo pag-meet sa deadline nga wala man gyud interested bidder? Inig kahibalo nila nga naa pa’y bidding, mo-back out man sila kay basin dili unya sila ang mapili-an unya nakagasto na pud sila,” Morelos said.

Early this year, the city cancelled the purchase of the uniforms after the transaction was questioned by city councilors after the purchase did not go through the bidding process.

Some councilors also asked why the suppliers of the uniforms are not from Cebu City. They said that local suppliers should be prioritized because they are the ones paying taxes to the city.

Morelos said she will be asking the mayor for another extension.

Former HRDO chief Mary Ann Suson explained they did not follow the bidding process because it was not the city government buying the uniforms, considering that the disbursement is charged to the personal account of the employees.

Suson had also explained that the suppliers were chosen by the employees themselves by voting on the sample uniforms presented.

Some supplier reportedly spent over P100,000 and have incurred expenses in taking the measurements of all employees, which took them two weeks to finish.

When the city cancels the transaction it means lost income for the company.

Aside from the expenses they incurred, they said they also declined orders from other clients to meet the deadline the city set to finish the uniforms. —(FREEMAN)