New city lamps ‘waste of money’

CEBU, Philippines - Councilor Margarita “Margot” Osmeña questioned the increase of the appropriation for replacement of electrical materials and for the street lighting programs from P15.3 million this year to P20 million for 2013.

During yesterday’s budget hearing, some councilors pointed out that the move of the administration of Mayor Michael Rama to replace sodium lamps with metal halide lamps may just be a waste of money.

Steve Po, the head of the DPS Street Lighting Division, said that a 250-watt metal halide lamp costs P5,300, which is much cheaper than the sodium lamps.

But sodium lamps could last for four to five years.

According to Lighting Research Center, metal halide (MH) lamps consist of an arc tube (also called a discharge tube or “burner”) within an outer envelope, or bulb. The arc tube may be made of either quartz or ceramic and contains a starting gas (usually argon), mercury, and MH salts. Traditional quartz MH arc tubes are similar in shape to mercury vapor (MV) arc tubes, but they operate at higher temperatures and pressures.

Councilor Nida Cabrera complained to Department of Public Services (DPS) chief Dionesio Gualiza because she observed that several of the metal halide bulbs installed in Barangay Luz, where she is living, are no longer working.

“Nabasa lang sa tubig sa pag-uwan wala na g’yud mosiga’g balik. Barato tuod ang presyo pero dali ra maguba. Mora lang og nag-usik-usik ta sa kwarta kay ang maayo pa nga sodium lamps gitangtang aron ilisan,” Cabrera said.

 Councilor Alvin Arcilla supported Cabrera’s observation.  Arcilla asked Po where they are keeping the sodium lamps that were removed  and replaced with the metal-halide lamps.

Po said the sodium lamps that were removed were used to replace busted metal halide lamps.

Meanwhile, also in yesterday’s budget hearing, Osmeña found out that of the P591,000 budget for  the repairs of artesian wells, only P341,000 was spent.  She is surprised why the budget for the same purpose was increased to P1 million for next year.

Gualiza admitted that the DPS is planning to hire additional job order employees next year to improve the collection of garbage and other related services.

Osmeña said they are now very careful in approving lump sum appropriations because Rama will just use the funds to hire job order employees who are mostly his supporters without informing the City Council.

She said when the City Council approved the lump sum allocations in the 2012 annual budget, it was clearly stated that whenever the executive department hires additional workers, it should be approved by the council first.

Osmeña explained she does not want job orders complaining again that they did not receive their salary.

 “There were many job order employees who went to my office because they were told that I was the one who blocked the approval of their salaries, which is not true,” Osmeña said. —MBG (FREEMAN)