Bingawan cites weather, paperwork for stalled 2025 projects

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

ILOILO CITY — Bingawan, Iloilo, officials blamed bad weather, late procurement, pending paperwork, and stretched manpower for the delayed 2025 development projects flagged by the Commission on Audit (COA), saying several have since been physically completed.

The explanations were recorded in COA’s 2025 annual audit report on the municipality, which found that 11 of its 16 priority projects under the 20% Development Fund (DF) were ongoing or not implemented as of Dec. 31, 2025.

In response to the audit findings, the local government unit (LGU) cited the “multi-tasking of existing personnel” in the Municipal Engineering Office as a major bottleneck that hindered the timely preparation of engineering plans, Programs of Work (POW), and purchase requests.

Bingawan is a fifth-class municipality with 16,164 residents as of the 2020 census, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.

Municipal focal persons told state auditors that most of the projects tagged “ongoing” or “not implemented” at year-end had been processed for procurement and awarded, with work starting only in the second half of 2025.

They said most of these projects were completed the following year.

To verify their status, COA conducted an ocular inspection on April 7, 2026, and interviewed the focal persons.

The inspection confirmed that four of the 11 projects — three farm-to-market roads and the eco-park improvement — had been physically completed, although some still awaited final inspection and documentation.

Roads finished, papers pending

The farm-to-market road in Sitio Maldespina was reported 90.30% complete as of Dec. 31, 2025, but verification with the Municipal Planning and Development Coordinator (MPDC) and the ocular inspection confirmed that it had been physically completed.

Its unutilized balance was due to pending administrative requirements, including final inspection, preparation of the final billing, and processing of the release of retention money before full completion could be declared.

The farm-to-market road in Barangay Malitbog Ilaya, reported 95% complete at year-end, was physically completed in February 2026.

As with the other road projects, its full completion was held back by pending final inspection, final billing, and the release of retention money.

The road in Barangay Inamyungan was among the projects reprogrammed during the year, so work began only in the latter part of 2025.

The ocular inspection confirmed that the Inamyungan road had been physically completed, subject to final inspection and documentation requirements.

The road in Barangay Cairohan, also reprogrammed, started only in February 2026 because an ongoing project at the same location limited site availability and the sequencing of works.

The PHP 1 million repair of the public market was 90.56% complete as of February 2026.

Officials attributed the market delay to the simultaneous implementation of multiple infrastructure projects, which stretched available manpower and equipment, and to intermittent inclement weather that disrupted construction.

Social projects trail

Work on the PHP 350,000 construction and rehabilitation of evacuation centers began only in 2026 because of unfavorable weather and delays in preparatory and procurement activities.

The potable water system was only partially implemented, pending the reassessment and validation of target clustered barangays and sitios.

Its remaining balance will be carried forward for implementation in succeeding years.

The PHP 3 million multipurpose hall, the second phase of the Rural Health Unit project, was 55.25% complete at year-end.

Officials said the delay stemmed mainly from the late completion of Phase 1 in June 2025, compounded by adjustments in work sequencing and the contractor’s mobilization.

The original PHP 2.6 million municipal counterpart for the development of PPAs was reprogrammed for road construction in various barangays to address more urgent infrastructure needs.

The remaining PHP 13,457.33 will be treated as a continuing appropriation and used to augment other priority projects in succeeding years.

Parks

The eco-park improvement, a continuation of a project funded in the previous year, began only in March 2026 after prior-phase activities were completed and design adjustments were finalized.

The ocular inspection found the eco-park project physically complete.

The second phase of the proposed senior citizen park has yet to start, as the municipality is still reviewing and finalizing its detailed engineering design.

Officials are also evaluating whether the allocated budget is adequate and are considering an augmentation in the succeeding year.

Reforms agreed

During the exit conference, the municipal engineer and the MPDC updated auditors on the status of the unimplemented and ongoing projects.

Management committed to expedite project implementation and strengthen monitoring to maximize the use of available funds and ensure the timely delivery of planned programs, projects, and activities (PPAs), COA said.

Mayor Matt Palabrica, members of the Municipal Development Council (MDC), the MPDC, and other municipal officials also agreed to four COA recommendations.

They agreed to ensure that priority development projects funded from the 20% DF are well-planned and ready for procurement and implementation.

They also agreed to incorporate in the Annual Investment Plan (AIP) the specific implementation periods and procurement modes listed in the Project Procurement Management Plan (PPMP), giving implementing offices a reference for when to start each project.

The officials further agreed to conduct periodic reviews of 20% DF projects so management can act to ensure optimum use of resources, timely completion, and alignment with development priorities.

Finally, they committed to implement the year’s priority development projects on time, in compliance with a 2020 joint memorandum circular of the Department of Budget and Management, the Department of Finance, and the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

COA communicated the findings through Audit Observation Memorandum No. 2026-009(2025) dated April 8, 2026.