P14 million unspent fund: Garcia slighted by COA report

CEBU, Philippines – Governor Gwendolyn Garcia was slighted by the Commission on Audit report that at least P14 million Philhealth Capitation Fund was left unutilized by the provincial government of Cebu in 2009.

The amount is intended for the poor constituents of the province that were enrolled in the Philhealth-sponsored program.   

"I feel personally offended with this castigation of the provincial government for not having spent P14 million which may result into the deprivation in the delivery of health services," Garcia told reporters.

Garcia described the comments of COA on the unspent fund as misplaced. She said that the amount was not spent in 2009 principally due to administrative constraints.

According to Garcia, Municipal Health Officers decided to defer spending the amount until it accumulates to a larger amount enough to fund a higher impact project.

Garcia said it was not true that the poor constituents have been deprived of the health and medical services because their needs have been taken care of from the regular allocation of the province.

In fact, Garcia said the province spent nearly half a billion pesos for health services in 2009.

"Baseless and unfair therefore for COA to gratuitously conclude that the failure to spend the P14 million deprived out constituents of essential health and medical services," Garcia said.

For 2010, the province allocated P581 million and in the proposed 2011 annual budget, it has allocated over P800 million.

"If we are talking health services, excuse me, what health services that are being deprived, what are we talking about," Garcia said.

Garcia said that the province is taking care of the health services from cradle, from children to senior citizens programs.

"And we have deprived the province of vital health services because P14 million was not spent?," she asked.

The fund can be utilized by the local government units to fund higher impact projects to augment and supplement the regular services, said Garcia.

The province has enough resources to appropriate more than half a billion for social and health services.

"We are indeed effectively delivering this health services to our constituents contrary to the perception of COA. Their conclusion seems to be that it is precisely only the capitation fund that is the heart and soul, the meat and the essence of the delivery of the health services," Garcia said.

Garcia met some COA officials yesterday but they were reportedly quick to tell the governor that they do not know about the report done by other state auditors.

This prompted Garcia to tell COA officials to revisit their attitudes and policies especially its "inconsistencies" and "attitude towards public officials." (FREEMAN)