Lack of studies made projects fail

CEBU - The absence of feasibility studies reportedly resulted to the non-effectiveness of projects implemented in Sogod town, the Commission on Audit said.

The provincial government funded a total of P5.5 million worth of projects in Sogod, including the construction of the offices of the vice mayor and members of the municipal council amounting to P1.5 million; completion of the repair of the town’s municipal building amounting to P2 million; and the rehabilitation of barangay roads with P1 million budget each road but COA said these projects do not reflect the needs of the constituents. 

But COA said the rehabilitation of the roads was not enough because the roads needed more concreting to withstand heavy rains and flood.

The roads were rehabilitated on February 2007 but COA said it found no traces of rehabilitation when validation was conducted February this year.

“We found out that in a period of one year, there were almost no trace of the project done and the roads remain almost impassable causing difficulty to the road using constituents,” COA said.

The municipal engineer and the barangay captains reportedly told COA that the rehabilitation did not sustain because the materials used were allegedly substandard such that they easily got washed out by rains and floods.

COA said the roads could have remained passable for a longer period of time if proper feasibility studies were made.

“The P2 million spent for the funding of these projects were also drained or lost together with the washing away of the materials used,” COA said.

COA reminded acting Sogod Mayor Lissa Marie Durano and her municipal planning and development officer and engineer to coordinate with each other so that future projects of the town will address the actual needs of their constituents. — Garry B. Lao/JMO (THE FREEMAN)