THE Commission on Audit (CoA) said the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) left uncompleted last year 117 out 170 flood control projects with a total cost of P878.6 million.
“Of the 170 flood control projects for implementation and completion during the year, 53 projects have been completed, 53 were on-going, and 64 projects were not yet started as of December 31, 2018,” CoA said in its audit report for 2018.
CoA said that MMDA did not include in its annual plan for infrastructure projects the procurement timetable for each activity. The MMDA also failed to expedite the implementation of procurement after the Department of Budget and Management ordered it to do so.
“For the implemented projects, it was noted that all of them were completed in the 3rd and 4th quarter of CY 2018, thereby defeating the intent of mitigating or preventing the impact of heavy rains to the public at large to which these projects could easily serve their purposes,” said the report.
In the report, MMDA commented that its Flood Control and Sewerage Management Office (FCSMO) has directed some of its flood control operation districts to supervise the implementation of projects.
“FCSMO has directed the eleven Flood Control Operations directly responsible for the project implementation to closely supervise the execution of the works so that any concern which might arise can be properly addressed and acted upon,” it commented in the report. — Vince Angelo C. Ferreras
