COA flags Batangas province over 鈥榰nspent鈥� disaster funds
Inquirer files
MANILA, Philippines — The provincial government of Batangas, under the leadership of Gov. Hermilando Mandanas, had P283.23 million unspent disaster funds, equating to 45.85 percent non-utilization rate, a Commission on Audit (COA) report showed.
In its 2023 audit report, COA said the unutilized balance of the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (LDRRMF) defeats “the objective of strengthening the resiliency of communities and enhancing disaster preparedness and response capabilities of the province.”
“The Province’s unexpended balance of the LDRRMF increased by P6,603,204.07 and was not optimally utilized to implement disaster-related programs, projects, and activities incorporated in the LDRMM Investment Plan, leaving an unutilized balance of P283,230,197.07,” the audit report reads.
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In line with this, COA said it recommended the provincial government “to instruct the Provincial DRRM Officer to submit the province’s plan for the implementation of the unbalanced fund (P283.23 million) and submit a written justification, explaining the observations cited in the audit report.
Moreover, COA recommended the review and evaluation of the LDRRMF Investment Plan with emphasis on the proper identification and selection of specific priority programs/projects/activities to accelerate their implementation and judiciously plan on how to significantly increase the utilization of the fund.
Aside from the unspent disaster funds, COA also flagged the P54.59 million in unsettled suspension, disallowances and charges, which stem from procurement issues and unvalidated expenses.
Additionally, the agency revealed that in the province only 17 audit recommendations were implemented, while 15 others were not implemented out of the 32 ones mentioned in the 2022 audit report and prior years.
Based on reports, the Philippine Statistics Authority recorded 39,500 poor families in Batangas in 2023 — 7,200 higher than the 32,300 logged in 2021.
