Batad completes four of nine COA-flagged projects
By Rjay Zuriaga Castor
ILOILO CITY — The municipal government of Batad, Iloilo, has completed four of the nine development projects worth PHP 19.4 million that state auditors found unimplemented in 2025, and its planning office has moved to require complete project proposals before budget approval.
The nine projects, funded by the town’s 20% Development Fund (DF), were flagged in a Commission on Audit (COA) report, which found that Batad used only 51.47% of its PHP 61.85 million in DF appropriations for 2025.
The DF is the share of the National Tax Allotment that the Local Government Code of 1991 requires every local government to set aside for development projects.
Auditors said the projects were included in the annual budget without being fully planned, designed, or procurement-ready.
Missing project briefs
In response, Batad’s municipal planning and development coordinator (MPDC) said not all municipal offices and implementing units submitted their required project proposals or detailed project briefs during the initial preparation of the Annual Investment Plan (AIP) and proposed budget.
Where the projects stand
Several of the projects progressed after the 2025 implementation period, the COA report noted.
The PHP 4 million lift for the annex building was procured on Dec. 15, 2025, at a contract cost of PHP 3,994,960.
The PHP 2.8 million Drancalan-Q. Lopez Road and the PHP 1.1 million Bañes Village concreting projects were procured on March 2 and March 10, 2026, respectively, at contract costs of PHP 2,793,605.53 and PHP 1,093,976.55.
Payment for the PHP 700,000 core shelter lot was completed in January 2026.
The design of the PHP 1.5 million Sta. Ana footbridge underwent revisions requested by the end-user.
Engineering plans for the PHP 1 million multi-purpose building improvement remained under preparation.
The PHP 500,000 traffic sign project was to be referred to the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office for layout and technical specifications.
As of August 2026, the municipal government reported to COA that four of the nine projects had been completed.
The remaining five are undergoing detailed architectural and engineering design preparation or procurement.
The MPDC and the municipal engineer submitted an implementation timetable to COA in April 2026, targeting completion of the remaining projects between May and December 2026.
Plans before budget
Mayor Elvira Alarcon agreed to COA’s recommendation to direct the municipal engineer and end-user offices to jointly prepare a specific timetable for the projects, monitor their progress, and ensure their timely completion.
She also agreed to direct the MPDC to ensure all projects carry complete plans, designs, and other required documents before they are included in the budget.
To prevent similar delays, the MPDC instructed all municipal offices during the technical session for the 2027 AIP on Feb. 9-10, 2026, to submit complete project proposals before budget approval.
The MPDC is also asking Alarcon to issue an executive order requiring complete project briefs and engineering plans in all future AIP and budget preparations.
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