ISO for light contractor sought

By ALDWIN QUITASOL
www.nordis.net

BAGUIO CITY — Baguio City councilor Richard Cariño pursue the retention of one of the requirements for any supplier or service provider to have a certification that the manufacturer of all the Light Emitting Diode (LED) bulbs to be installed in all the city government agencies and establishments is bearing an ISO 9001: 2008 in the amendments of the Special Bids and Awards committee (BAC) to the Terms of Reference (TOR) specified under Council Resolution Number 446 series of 2011.

In the TOR, the service provider who will have a contract with the city for the replacement of all existing building lights of the City Hall and its satellite offices and other city owned establishments and parks, the ISO standard will ensure that LED lights acquired by the city are of the highest international standards.

Cariño said during the regular session of the city council that the committee on Laws, he chaired, put the requirement back in the TOR as it was removed in the proposed amendments submitted by the BAC. The BAC was formed by city Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan. According to BAC, the ISO requirement is not needed as long as the manufacturer submits certificates for Design and Manufacturing of Electronic transformers, Electronic Ballasts, LED Lighting Applications and General Lighting Systems and quality lighting LED lighting fixtures from internationally recognized or accredited evaluation agencies or organizations. The BAC is being led by City Administrator Carlos Canilao and City Budget Officer Leticia Clemente.

However, the LED lighting matter was left hanging as the council decided to refer back the said issue to the committee on laws. Cariño said that they will study further the amended TOR.

The city at present has around 8,200 lighting fixtures. These are commonly high pressure sodium bulbs using 250, 150 and 70 watts and 160 watts Mercury bulbs. The city incurs more or less P42.32 million every year for the electric bills for street lights, park lights, all lights located at overpasses and flyovers to Benguet electric Cooperative. The city government wants to replace the existing non-LED lighting fixtures with LED bulbs.

The winning bidder to be the service provider shall, at their own expense undertake and at no additional cost to the City Government, the repair and maintenance of all installed LED lighting equipments for a period of not less than 12 years.

Councilor Peter Fianza however express doubts on the term “at their own expense”as he fear another Protech case in the making. It shall be remembered that the city entered a contract with the trash firm Protech Machineries Corporation in the processing of the city’s residual waste. The councilor said that Protech said to be in control over the residual garbage at no cost for the city. However the city is spending millions to address the waste problem. # nordis.net