DOTr: Bidding, procurement for 98 projects livestreamed in 2nd half of 2017

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Friday said it had livestreamed the bidding and procurement processes for 98 projects on their official Facebook page from May to December last year.

In a statement, the DOTr Communications Office said a total of 42 livestream videos posted on Facebook in the seven-month period covered the pre-bidding for 48 projects and the opening of bids for 50 projects.

The page reportedly has 170,000 followers, an increase from 20,000 in mid-2016.

The DOTr said bolstering transparency in procurement was among the agency's efforts to step up compliance with Republic Act 9485 or the Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007.

Citing its report to the Civil Service Commission (CSC) Anti-Red Tape Task Force, the DOTr said other reforms being instituted are aimed to "ensure that procurement procedures, transactions, and other frontline services are fulfilled in a manner that is efficient, timely, and corruption-free."

The DOTr Internal Audit Office (IAO) said the agency displayed tarpaulins showing procedures for procurement of infrastructure projects.

A memorandum issued by Undersecretary for Administration and Finance Garry De Guzman requires all DOTr officials and its attached agencies to ensure that contracts and transactions with suppliers and external parties are paid within 15 days.

Officials were also ordered to submit a status report on the action taken regarding the processing of request from the public within 15 working days through the IAO, ni accordance to a separate memorandum from De Guzman. 

Moreover, the DOTr's digital media and public assistance arm is tasked to receive and resolve complaints.

"Complaints received through the DOTr’s digital platforms are forwarded immediately to concerned attached agencies," the DOTr said in a statement.

The agency said it resolved 208 out of 218 complaints forwarded through its Freedom of Information (FOI) portal in its first year of implementation.

Information on the steps on procurement and infrastructure, online complaint forms, Citizen Charter, operations report of the Inter-Agency Council on Traffic (i-ACT), and other announcements are available on Anti-Red Tape Act section on the DOTr website, the DOTr said.

The website also provides information on the Duterte administration's  Build, Build, Build infrastructure program, the FOI manual and request form and the transparency seal.

The DOTr also monitors its frontline agencies and offices with regard to the implementation of their respective Anti-Red Tape programs and activities, including that of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board and the Land Transportation Office. — MDM, GMA News