2 ambulances left idle at disaster office hub

A "waste of government funds." This is how Mandaue City Mayor Thadeo Jovito “Jonkie” Ouano described the purchase of two ambulances, which cost P2 million each, and have been sitting idle at the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) hub in Barangay Looc for four years since its purchase.

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This came after Ouano personally discovered yesterday that two ambulances were not in operation as its registration is not under the Mandaue City Government, but under a private individual — the supplier based in Manila.

"Gigastoan man ni sa syudad unya wa nagamit. Usik-usik na sad ta og pundo sa Gobyerno," Ouano told reporters in an interview yesterday.

Ouano was only supposed to inquire with Mandaue CDRRMO Head Buddy Alain Ybañez and Department of General Services Chief, City Engineer Marivic Cabigas, regarding the request from the Mandaue City Health Office for an additional ambulance — but instead, he ended up discovering the issue.

"Maong nindot sad ba nga kita gyud ang mutuyok sa different departments, daghan sad ta og mahibaw-an," said Ouano.

He said he was dismayed upon learning that the City could have had at least 12 operational ambulances, including the two in question, but these cannot be used simply because the registration is not under the city government.

"So kung naay mahitabo animakadisgrasya, unya driver pa gud sa gobyerno-dili pwede ma allocate-an og pundo sa gobyerno kay dili man under sa city government ang rehistro niya," Ouano said.

Ouano said the matter will be addressed and investigated to determine how this happened, especially since the ambulances were already received as early as 2021.

He said that the city government has been constantly following up, but the supplier has reportedly not been responding.

Meanwhile, City Engineer Marivic Cabigas explained that they temporarily halted the operation of the ambulances because the vehicles are not yet officially listed as assets of the city government. He said the ambulances do not have the Official Receipt (OR) and Certificate of Registration (CR).

"Dili pa pwede mapadagan kay kung simbako og madisgrasya. Atong patubagon ang katong naggamit, dili gyud ang syudad," Cabigas explained.