DPWH office defends purchase of top-tier laptops

— The Department of Public Works and Highways-Southern Mindoro District Engineering Office (DPWH-SMDEO) defended the purchase of five high-performance laptops worth a total of P930,000, saying these were purchased in full compliance with Republic Act No. 9184, the Government Procurement Reform Act, and all relevant rules, regulations, and existing procedures.

- By JERRY ALCAYDE

In a statement, the SMDEO said these complied with the technical specifications issued by the DPWH-Information Management Service (IMS) which conducts needed studies on emerging technologies intended for their operational requirements.

IMS also provides the specifications for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) equipment that include laptops and desktops.

Three have specialized applications requiring high-performance capabilities and two are being used for general office application.