Archival agrees, plan to purchase P3.97M power transfer switch needs further study

Local

CEBU City Mayor Nestor Archival Sr. is not yet fully on board with the planned P3.97 million purchase of an automatic power transfer switch (ATS) for City Hall.

He said he still needs clarity on its exact use and installation site.

“Actually, engineer man ko, wala ko kabalo asa ibutang,” Archival told reporters during an interview on Wednesday, July 30.

“Sakto sad siguro na nga gihimo sa council nga [tan-awon] kay kinahanglan makabalo ta asa ibutang… We understand that all over 18 years nako na konsehal, naa naman na siya. It might be naguba, but we need to understand asa ibutang," he added.

Archival said that while the proposal might be valid, it should be clearly explained.

“Depende unsa na, basin ilisan niya tanan, but this is something nga angay ipasabot,” he said. “But there’s no problem about it kay si Joel [Garganera] gatan-aw raman na sa kaayohan sa atong syudad.”

The proposed procurement, introduced in the City Council by Councilor Joel Garganera, aims to install an ATS unit for the Executive Building of City Hall.

The device would allow a seamless switch between power sources during outages and reduce potential damage to critical systems such as computers and servers.

“This is intended for the Executive Building for uninterrupted power and to protect our equipment from power outages and increase safety,” Garganera explained during the council’s recent session. “It will minimize downtime, reduce risks of damage from surges, and ensure continuous operation of critical systems.”

The request came from the Department of General Services (DGS), which submitted the proposal on June 23 along with supporting documents. The funding is being eyed from the city’s 2025 budget.

However, some councilors expressed concern over the procurement.

Councilor Nice Archival questioned the amount, urging city officials to assess whether the cost is justifiable.

Meanwhile, Councilor Harold Go raised a technical point.

He explained that an ATS does not protect electronic equipment and that a different system, a UPS (uninterruptible power supply), is more appropriate for such protection.

“If you’re talking about equipment protection, that’s a different system — it’s called a UPS, and each office should have one,” Go said.

In light of the questions raised, the Council opted to defer action and scheduled an executive session on August 12. Officials from DGS and other concerned offices will be invited to further explain the request and respond to queries.(TGP)