ILOILO CITY — Iloilo province’s Sangguniang Panlalawigan (Provincial Board) is looking at an annual savings of PHP250,000 when it switches to “paperless” sessions.
In an interview Tuesday afternoon, Vice Governor Christine Garin said some members of the board and the secretariat are now using computers to browse through the agenda and minutes of the sessions.
“We are on our second week of trying the paperless system,” Garin said, adding that they are using no less than three reams of bond paper every session in producing copies of the agenda and minutes of previous sessions, excluding other documents.
She said the board members also want “all the information to be accessible right away.”
“In our system now, our board members cannot immediately receive the information. Through the paperless session, they could already receive the information wherever they are if they browse through the internet or their e-mails,” Garin said.
She added that they also want to archive the provincial board’s documents, especially ordinances, so they could search for the information they need while they are in session.
Garin said they are still working on their plan to purchase computers for all board members and the secretariat for the full-blown implementation of the “paperless” system.
“If we purchase computers, we know it would cost us much but we are looking at the long-term benefit of it. It will not only benefit us, current members of the board, but also future members,” she said.
Garin expressed hope that all provincial board members would be amenable to the proposed transition to a “paperless” system so they could fully implement it in the coming months.
Meanwhile, she confirmed that there will be a reorganization in the membership of the board’s committees. The chairperson and the vice-chairperson stay. (Cindy Ferrer/PNA)
