P9.17M worth of road works unimplemented

By: Gerome Dalipe

SOME P9.17 million has been allotted for the concreting of various barangay roads in Pavia, Iloilo in 2018.

But these projects have not been implemented after the Pavia municipal government failed to secure proof of ownership and deeds of usufruct of the roads to be concreted, the Commission on Audit (COA) discovered.

COA said this violated Sec. 6.5 of the Department of the Interior and Local Government Memorandum Circular 2018-61 dated May 3, 2018, depriving intended beneficiaries of the basic services from the program.

The DILG’s Assistance to Municipalities seeks to equitably assist all municipalities in the delivery of basic services by providing a financial subsidy to municipalities for the implementation of their priority programs and projects.

The program includes local bridges, disaster risk reduction-related equipment, rainwater catchment facilities, sanitation and health facilities, and a municipal drug rehabilitation facility.

In their report, the auditors asked the mayor to direct concerned officials and employees to expedite the process of securing deeds of usufruct for the road projects.

The municipal mayor is also directed to install a community billboard within the municipal hall premises showing the status of the programs, pursuant to the DILG memorandum.

The mayor is also tasked to comply with all policy guidelines and procedures in the implementation of programs to avoid disqualification on future projects.

Apart from unimplemented concreting programs, the municipal government failed to prepare its Annual Procurement Plan and other Project Procurement Management Plan for 2018.

The auditors urged the mayor and other concerned officials to prepare the required procurement plan at the start of every budget year, pursuant to law.