Pasig's efforts to clean up the procurement process at city hall saved it a lot of money, which has come in handy in time of the COVID-19 crisis.
Mayor Vico Sotto said part of the P1.3 billion the city has saved will benefit 138,000 local public-school children who are in need of gadgets for online learning this year.
"Suwerte lang din kami dahil nu'ng first year ko, bagong administration, transition period, ang priority ko linisin 'yung sistema ng procurement. Hindi kami masyadong gumawa ng infrastructure programs so malaki ang natipid namin noong 2019," Sotto said in an interview on Teleradyo Saturday.
"Ginawa din naming makatotohanan 'yung bidding. Bukas talaga, 'di luto. Doon pa lang more than P500 million ang natipid namin."
Public school teachers will also benefit as they stand to receive tablets they will be needing for virtual teaching.
Pasig also plans to provide laptops to science high school, senior high school and even college students being financed by the city government.
Most schools in affected areas were forced to shift to distance learning this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sotto said this is why it is crucial to exercise transparency in government processes.
"From the very start, noong maupo ako noong July, isa sa unang orders na ibinigay ko sa engineering department at iba pang departamento namin bawasan n'yo lahat ng presyo by at least 10 percent dahil alam ko naman ang nangyayari dati," he said.
"Doon pa lang nabawasan agad, yung mga approved budget contract namin, lahat yan nagsibabaan ang presyo. 'Yung quality, specifications, requirements same pa rin, pero yung presyo hinatak natin pababa."
Vico Sotto, Pasig City, distance learning, online learning, COVID-19, COVID-19 pandemic, lockdown, quarantine,