Binay urges LGUs to account for land survey funds

MANILA, Philippines - Vice President Jejomar Binay has urged local government units (LGUs) to account for funds granted to them by the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) for land surveys.

Binay, who chairs the HUDCC, made the appeal following reports that 28 LGUs failed to submit liquidation reports of funds amounting to P28,322,107.47 as of December 2013.

The Vice President, however, clarified that the actual unliquidated balance is P24,472,968.20 and not P28.32 million as reported in newspapers.

Binay said the HUDCC has been conducting site visits and issuing follow-up letters requiring the concerned LGUs to submit their reports. 

“It is the responsibility of the LGUs to submit the liquidation reports, as HUDCC is only tasked with giving them the funds. Nevertheless, we have already introduced measures to prevent similar occurrences in the future and ensure that the funds are really utilized for their proper purpose,” he said.

According to Binay, HUDCC decided to acquire consulting services for the survey of the proclaimed lands through public bidding since 2014. To date, HUDCC has conducted public bidding to hire land surveyors for six projects with a total approved budget of P9,970,000.

The same scheme is also being used this year, with the HUDCC Bids and Awards Committee holding biddings for three land subdivision survey projects worth P4.182 million. 

Binay said the HUDCC continues to follow up the unliquidated amounts with the concerned LGUs. Field visits to the LGUs have been scheduled this year to reiterate the submission of audited liquidation reports or demand refund in case the projects remain unimplemented and unutilized.

The HUDCC entered into memorandum of agreement with various LGUs from 2005 to 2013 for the financing, conduct and approval of all survey works and eventual titling of the lots for intended beneficiaries in the areas declared as socialized housing sites. 

Under the MOA, HUDCC transfers the amount equivalent to the survey’s estimated cost to the LGUs by cash advance.

The LGUs, on the other hand, are required to submit to the HUDCC documents including progress reports and official receipts of payments made for the survey, liquidation reports, certificates of project completions and disbursement reports verified by the Commission on Audit to liquidate the funds transferred by HUDCC, along with a Statement of Work Accomplished certified by the LGU.