Consolacion flagged by COA over two delayed road projects

Two road projects in the municipality of Consolacion worth nearly P9.92 million were completed years behind schedule, prompting the Commission on Audit (COA) to flag deficiencies in planning and compliance with procurement rules.

In its audit report for the year ending December 31, 2024, COA said the prolonged delays violated Republic Act No. 9184, or the Government Procurement Reform Act, as well as a joint circular issued by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), the Department of Finance (DOF), and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

The projects involved road opening works in Barangays Garing-Polog and Pulpogan-Cansaga, which were intended to improve road access and address long-standing transport issues in the area.

COA noted that the road opening project in Barangay Garing-Polog, with a contract cost of P4.92 million, was scheduled for completion on July 1, 2021.

However, it was finished only on July 5, 2024, resulting in a delay of about 1,100 days, or more than three years.

The second project, a P4.99 million road opening in Barangay Pulpogan-Cansaga, was targeted for completion on December 9, 2023, but was completed only on July 12, 2024, or 216 days later than planned.

COA emphasized that Section 7 of RA 9184 requires procurement activities to be carefully planned and included in the Annual Procurement Plan only when projects are essential and ready for implementation.

The audit body also cited Joint Memorandum Circular No. 1, Series of 2020, which directs local government units to ensure that projects funded under the 20 percent Development Fund are fully prepared for procurement and execution.

The Municipal Engineer’s Office explained that the delay in the Garing-Polog project was caused by overlapping road works undertaken by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

Engineering staff said construction was temporarily halted to give way to the national government project, noting that its timing was beyond the municipality’s control.

For the Pulpogan-Cansaga project, auditors were told that unforeseen site conditions required a redesign of the drainage system, while negotiations with new property owners for road right-of-way further slowed the project’s completion.

Municipal officials also informed COA that time extensions had been granted for both projects.

However, COA said the extensions still need to be validated, as supporting disbursement documents were not yet submitted during the audit.

Despite these explanations, COA maintained that the prolonged delays indicated inadequate planning even before the projects were approved and funded.

The audit body said the situation undermines fiscal discipline and violates established procurement and budgeting guidelines.

COA stressed that the projects could have addressed long-standing road problems in the affected barangays much earlier, benefiting residents through improved mobility, better access to services, and improved living conditions.

COA recommended more thorough site inspections during the preparation of detailed engineering plans and closer coordination among concerned offices.

It also urged municipal officials to ensure that only projects fully ready for procurement and implementation are included in future budgets to ensure the timely delivery of public services and the efficient use of government funds. (SBA)