A recent report of the Commission on Audit (COA) flagged an unfinished flood control project worth P120 million in Barangay San Pedro, Puerto Princesa City. It is located in the central district and is key to preventing flooding in other parts of the capital city.
“The project was started on Jan. 15, 2021, and was set to be completed on July 8, 2022, pursuant to the 540-calendar-day duration,” according to the COA report.
The project was implemented by the city government but it suffered from a “significantly low completion rate,” COA said.
Soon after the release of the 2023 COA report in January, floods swamped parts of Palawan province, including Brgy. San Pedro and other villages of Puerto Princesa City, following two days of rain.
Thousands of city residents were displaced, and farmlands were damaged.
Puerto Princesa was placed under a state of calamity to allow the local government to use a portion of its P86-million quick response fund.
Five people were killed in the flooding along the city borders when a van travelling from Bataraza to the city was swept away by floodwaters in adjacent Aborlan town. Seven other passengers survived.
The recent flooding was triggered by a record 352 mm of rainfall that occurred between Feb. 9 and 10. According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, this was caused by convergence of a low-pressure area and a “shear line” over Palawan.
In previous instances of flooding, the city government deployed suction trucks to remove and relocate water, a tedious process that had stressed the capability of the city engineering offices in addressing the current flooding.
The trucks were also deployed during the recent flooding but had minimal effect.
‘Admin’ project: 80% of cost released, but only 34.63 % completed
As of 2023, more than 80% of the San Pedro flood control project’s cost — P98 million out of the P120 million — had been released. However, as of December 2023, the timeline of the audit report, the project was only 34.63% completed.
The San Pedro flood control project was implemented by the city administration as part of its cost-saving measure. Under such a scheme, the city government bids out supplies such as cement, gravel, sand and steel, among others, and handles the hiring of laborers.
In its response to COA, the city government attributed project delays in the first year, during the COVID-19 pandemic, to manpower shortage due to the community quarantines. The city also cited the relocation of electrical posts and road right-of-way issues.
However, COA stated that these issues should have been addressed during the feasibility study or planning phase of the project.
“Considering the significant amount of the Project, the same should have been thoroughly studied and well-planned for its smooth implementation,” COA said.
On social media, after the release of the COA report, the city government said the cause for the delay has been the lack of cooperation among several private property owners who have resisted engineering plans to install box culverts going through their property.
The flood control project is one of 84 projects implemented by the city government in 2023. COA also noted that the city government had not secured an environmental compliance certificate for the project.
“We recommended that management fast-track the implementation of the project, closely monitor its status/progress, immediately address the issues hindering its completion, and submit to the Audit Team a copy of any document showing that the CNC (Certificate of Non-Coverage) is actually in process,” the report said.
COA reported that 55 out of 106 infrastructure projects worth P1.8 billion from 2010 to 2023 had not been fully implemented. Only nine were ongoing during the COA audit period, while 28 had not even started. — PCIJ.org