COA asks DSWD to fix over P35M Kalahi-CIDSS projects in WV
Government auditors tasked to check on the status of the national government's poverty alleviation program disclosed significant findings that revealed possible loss of over P666 million worth of government infrastructure. This, alongside questions in over P257 million worth of similar projects, P35.2 million of which were in Western Visayas.
The News Today (TNT) obtained documents confirming the report with project proponents asked to correspondingly resolve and act on the multi-million irregularities and problems discovered.
Implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) here, the questioned projects were under the Kapit-Bisig Laban Sa Kahirapan (Kalahi) Comprehensive Integrated Delivery of Social Services (CIDSS).
Ironically, said report came to view within days after news releases came out highlighting the reported gains in a number of Kalahi-CIDSS areas in Iloilo and elsewhere in Western Visayas.
Kalahi-CIDSS as designed seeks to empower targeted families and communities nationwide. A poverty-alleviation project, it was further designed to address the minimum basic needs of poor families using convergence strategy of pooling all together the human and material resources of the government and non-government organizations.
General observation of the audit team from the Commission on Audit (COA) stated that 25 sub-projects of the region's Kalahi-CIDSS valued over P35.2 million failed "to meet specific targeted completion date as stipulated in the contracts."
"Consequently, the non-completion of projects within the stipulated targeted dates affected the over-all performance of the program and deprived the intended recipients of the anticipated project benefits," the COA team wrote.
Among the justifications given thereafter were delays on the counterpart of the local government units concerned, bad weather conditions and inactive barangay volunteers. Further still, the delays were also blamed on political friction in particular project areas.
Yet a detailed look into the report showed more serious lapses. For instance, common findings in a number of Kalahi-CIDSS infrastructure works disclosed that these were built in private lots.
Among these projects were the construction of road concreting with side ditches in Barangay Granada and upgrading of feeder road with concreting in Barangay Gabi in Carles, Iloilo. Same scenario in barangays Rizal and San Francisco in Barotac Viejo with the day care center and health station here built on supposedly donated lots yet unregistered when checked.
"This can result in the non-recognition of the lot donation by new administration of a different political party that will take over," the report continued.
And the problem did not stop there. Further still, the COA team discovered that the Kalahi-CIDSS projects here were constructed not only in said private lots but that it also deviated from the original purpose of the donation.
"Health Station in Barangay San Francisco in Barotac Viejo whose original purpose of lot donation is for the rehabilitation of Historical Landmark and erection of ice plant factory and cold storage community development project," excerpts of the findings went. "Baby Cono Ricemill in Barangay La Fortuna in Barotac Viejo, the original purpose of lot donation is for the construction of Solar drier and Health Station in Barangay Janul-awon in Concepcion, the original purpose of lot donation is for the construction of building for the deposit of palay produce."
Here COA came out with an explicit warning, "the government may stand to lose P666,254,775.56 worth of infrastructures because the non-registration of donations will not bind third persons. Hence the heirs of the donors have the right to recover ownership of donated lots to the prejudice of the government."
More problems again in Carles, Iloilo on the two passenger pumpboats earlier chosen as priority projects here. To date, one has ceased to operate after it was destroyed by the typhoon while the other failed to secure a permit from the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA).
And finally, a warehouse sub-project in Barangay California, Barotac Viejo discovered by COA to have not been properly utilized as stipulated in the contract.