The photo shows the contract signing between the University of Bohol Research Center (UBRC) and the City Government. UBRC is represented by Dr. Leah Wilfreda Pilongo (left) who signed the contract for and on behalf of the said University as City Mayor John Geesnell Yap II (center) signed the contract on behalf of the city government. The contract signing happened on Aug. 24, 2021. Tagbilaran City Livelihood and Community Development Unit (CLCDU) Adelfa Salutan (right) was also on hand during the contract signing. Salutan said the database would be used in the creation of relevant and significant livelihood projects in Tagbilaran City. Photo by City Health Office
Tagb CLCD establishes brgy. database
City Mayor John Geesnell Yap II was on hand during the contract signing among the City Government of Tagbilaran, the University of Bohol Research Center (UBRC) which was represented by its Dean, Leah Wilfreda Pilongo and the Tagbilaran City Livelihood Development Office under Adelfa Salutan to build a barangay database, according to the City Health Office.
UBRC is contractually obligated to conduct a study on the economic, strategic sub-sector value chain in the 15 barangays and the gathering of necessary, essential and closely – related information needed for the establishment of the Tagbilaran City Livelihood Database.
The database would provide vital information in establishing livelihood projects for the recipients in the City.
Mayor Yap said the information from the database would provide the necessary information as to what livelihood programs would significantly improve the Tagbilaranons’ way of life.
Just recently, around 25 beneficiaries of the Bangon ug Abante sa Bag-ong Asenso (BABA) Livelihood Project completed their training on Dressmaking and Tailoring.
The training was conducted by the City Government and its partner, the Bohol Island State University (BISU).
The trainees are now due for a competency assessment for NC II certification by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
CLCDU head Adelfa Salutan shared that aside from the skills trainings, the beneficiaries are also provided with social preparatory trainings on Values Formation, Responsible Parenting, Reproductive Health, Gender Sensitivity and Development, and Financial Literacy and Management.
Members of the academe from partner institution, UB, conducted the series of trainings.
The skills training on one hand, will be handled by institutional partners, BISU and TESDA.
The plan is to organize the trained beneficiaries to manage the Tagbilaran City Garments Manufacturing Cooperative, a 3-year project in partnership with First Consolidated Bank (FCB) Foundation, TESDA, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), UB, BISU, and GUGMA Tagbilaran.
Salutan said once the trained beneficiaries are equipped and empowered, they will take the lead in managing the enterprise.
Expanding the business into manufacturing of bags and shoes is also a possibility.
“With God’s favor, we plan of marketing their products not only here in our province, but nationally and even abroad with the Tatak Tagbilaran brand”, Salutan emphasized.
Information Technology Head Mariano Tambis (in photo) ensures that the digital system in the City Government connecting the 15 barangays is up and running. The IT department started the connectivity in the barangays on June 20, 2021. The connectivity project which is pending completion also features the provision of free wi-fi in Tagbilaran City’s 15 barangays. Photo by the City Media Bureau
Tagb’s 15 barangays are digitally interconnected
The pandemic has harnessed the creativity in some people.
In order to continue the day-to-day transactions between the City Government and the 15 barangays, the Information Technology Unit (ITU) of the City Government started a project to digitally interconnect all 15 of the City’s barangays.
ITU has set up landline phones in each of the 15 barangays; on top of that, each barangay was given a provision for internet connection, which the barangays could use to connect to the cyber space.
IT Head Mariano Tambis said the interconnectivity would be useful to hasten the development agenda of the barangays.
“Communication plays a vital role in every aspect of development. The ease of access provided to the barangays is a major leap towards capacitating the barangay officials to chart its own plans and transactions,” Tambis said.
Aside from the interconnectivity in the barangays, the City Government took other steps towards limiting the face-to-face transactions, to ensure safety amidst the pandemic.
The City Accounting Department launched the Tracking Assistant Gateway or TAG last year.
It is a software application that enables all the offices in the City Hall to track the progress of their claims.
There is no need to go to the City Accounting Office and discuss the status of the claims since all the details are already posted in the system.
The IT department which installed the application TAG in all the offices in the City Hall.
The system is assigned to a focal person who is responsible in managing the application.
The TAG installed in a certain office cannot be accessed by other offices.
It is exclusive and password-protected.
Jinky Tecson from the City Planning and Development Office said TAG is a big help to her office.
“The document monitoring and management system inquiry or Tracking Assistant Gateway of the accounting office helped our office a lot. It is now easy to track the status of our payroll and other accounting transactions. When you check the system, you just need a keyword to search your transaction. The system will show where your paper is and who is the person working on it. You need not go or call the accounting office to know the status of your documents. It is also very timely, since this pandemic, we do not need to have face to face transactions. So, I was able to save time and be safe all at the same time”, Tecson said.
City Accountant Eleanor Beniga said that the tracking system greatly eased their burden during this pandemic.
“I asked our receiving clerk regarding the number of inquiries on the transaction claims when the TAG system was installed. She told me that the face-to-face transactions decreased by 80%,” Beniga said.
The City General Services Office (GSO) also managed to adapt to the challenges posed by the pandemic.
Under the leadership of Dr. Chris John Rener Torralba, the GSO set up an e-Procurement System.
This e-Procurement system is a 24/7 service that automates the preparation of the Purchase Request (PRs) for goods and it allows easy tracking of the progress of PRs.
All PRs will be filed and created on line by the designated Supply Officer of the different departments and offices of the City Government of Tagbilaran.
The offices through their supply officers can follow-up the status of their PRs on line.
The PRs will then be reviewed, printed and processed by the GSO.
In the next phase of the system, it will be linked to asset management so that goods will be immediately tagged for inventory prior to release.
The e-Procurement system is lodged at the GSO website www.gsotagbilaran.com.
Supply officers of the different departments and offices of the City Government can conveniently prepare their PR for goods on line at their convenient time and place.
The offices through their supply officers can follow-up the status of their PRs online.
The system has proven to be most useful during the community quarantine since the supply officers can still remotely prepare and submit their PRs without physically submitting it.
The department head and supply officer can receive a text message and e-mail alert regarding their PR.