The Department of Public Works and Highways-Southern Mindoro District Engineering Office (DPWH-SMDEO) has clarified and defended its purchase of five high-performance laptops, valued at a total of PHP 930,000, addressing concerns raised on social media about the cost.
DPWH-Southern Mindoro Defends Laptop Purchase
In a statement, the DPWH-SMDEO stated that the acquisition was fully compliant with Republic Act No. 9184, the Government Procurement Reform Act. The office explained that the laptops were not for general office use but for specialized applications required by the Planning and Design Section.
These applications include Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and Civil 3D, which demand high-specification hardware to function efficiently.
The total purchase price, the agency added, was not solely for the hardware. It also included genuine, licensed software such as Microsoft Office CSP and Windows 11 Pro, which are mandatory for government use and comply with intellectual property and cybersecurity laws.
Moreover, the DPWH-SMDEO stressed that using unlicensed or pirated software is strictly prohibited under Philippine law. The laptops, acquired in 2024, are currently being used to create infrastructure plans and designs for the district.
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