BILLIONS of pesos worth of flood control and infrastructure projects by the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) which have yet to be finished beyond its supposed completion date were tagged by the Commission on Audit (COA).
The state auditor, in a report, hinted at the unfinished P3.164 billion worth of flood control and infrastructure projects whose supposed completion should have been last year.
The COA said that the two MMDA component programs – P1.279 billion for flood control and P1.885 billion for infrastructure projects – have remained incomplete.
Under the MMDA’s 2020 flood control program are 94 programmed flood control projects. Of this number, 67 projects worth P835 million were not completed “due to delays in procurement activities and the pending release of Special Allotment Release Order from the Budget Department.”
Interestingly, 41 flood control projects were not completed or implemented within the timeframe specified in contracts “due to inadequate planning and lack of coordination with concerned authorities and communities.”
COA likewise took a swipe at the MMDA for its failure to complete projects on time as most have remained unfinished even after the onset of the rainy season.
At the time the government weather bureau officially announced the onset of the rainy season, COA said that MMDA was only able to finish 26 projects worth P234 million.
“All of these hindered the MMDA in attaining its important objective to mitigate flooding in the Metropolis,” state auditors said.
Meanwhile, state auditors said 10 infrastructure projects worth P681 million were stalled due to delays in procurement activities and failure to follow timelines.
Nine other projects totaling P1.2 billion were not completed within the specified timeline due to inadequate planning, absence of coordination with concerned bodies, and unsatisfactory performance of the contractor.
Part of the report also made a recommendation for the MMDA to demand and monitor the settlement of liabilities of Prime Gigabuild Construction Corporation, the contractor for a P57-million traffic signalization project that performed unsatisfactorily.