MMDA failed to implement P179-M flood control projects, says COA

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Audit has called out the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority over its failure to complete or even just to break ground several flood control projects amounting P178.882 million.

In an annual audit report recently published on its website, the COA said 53 flood control and sewerage projects in Manila, Quezon City and Makati amounting P168.248 million supposed to have been implemented by the MMDA Flood Control Sewerage and Management Office between 2014 to 2016 were already beyond their completion dates stated in the contracts.

The audit body said four more flood control projects in Manila and Makati amounting P10.454 million have yet to start as of Dec. 31, 2016 even when the contracts were already awarded and the notices to proceed were already issued in March and June 2016.

“Various projects totaling P178,882,627.24 were either not implemented or not completed within the specific contract time due to inadequate planning and absence of coordination mechanism with the DPWH, concerned LGUs, communities and other agencies which hindered the Authority in attaining its objective to mitigate flooding in the Metropolis,” the report read.

The projects were part of the MMDA's P800.927 million metro-wide program launched in 2014 to mitigate the adverse effects of flooding in the 17 cities comprising Metro Manila.

The COA said that though some of the reasons for the delay in the projects' implementation were out of the control of the MMDA such as typhoons or unfavorable weather conditions, there are other measures that the agency could have done to strive for the projects' timely completion, particularly proper coordination with other government agencies and LGUs.

“However, the issues on the relocation of informal settlers and the need for coordination with the LGUs, DPWH and other concerned agencies are factors which are unintentional but procedural and consequential that affect the timely completion of the projects,” the COA said.

The audit body warned that the perennial flood problems will continue to hound the metropolis if the MMDA will not double its efforts to complete the project.

“Flooding is a perennial problem in Metro Manila and flood waters literally submerges the Metro causing enormous damages to life and property which paralyzes government and business operations, hence, the necessity to undertake projects for the prevention thereof,” the COA said.

On a positive note, the MMDA reported a 25-percent improvement on its dredging/desilting work in esteros (estuaries) and inner waterways of Metro Manila. The MMDA said that in 2016, its dredging/desilting work covered total length of 605,291 linear meters compared to 480,715 linear meters in 2015.

Garbage problem

Meanwhile, in the performance indicator attached in the same audit report, the MMDA said that for 2016, it had to haul 10.72 million cubic meters of solid waste compared to just 10.27 cu. m. in 2015 – or a difference of 450,000 cu.m. or 75,000 additional truckloads of trash.

The MMDA said it cost the agency a whopping P1.84 billion in tipping fees to three waste disposal facilities namely; the Rizal Provincial Sanitary Landfill (RPSLF), the Quezon City Sanitary Land Fill (QC-SLF) and at the Navotas Sanitary Land Fill (NSLF).

It had earlier been projected that the QC-SLF can only accommodate dump trucks until 2020, while the NSLF until 2025. That will leave only RPSLF which has a projected holding capacity of until 2037.