Cebu City gets high remarks from COA

CEBU, Philippines —  For the first time since it was chartered in 1937, Cebu City received the highest remark from the Commission on Audit (COA) – an “unmodified opinion” – following a look into the city’s financial statements for 2020.

“The city’s financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the City of Cebu as of December 31, 2020, and its financial performance, its cash flows, and its comparison of budget and actual amounts for the year then ended in accordance with International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS),” said COA State Auditor V Maria Daisy Bercede in an independent auditor’s report sent to Mayor Edgardo Labella.

The government’s audit team believes the records it looked into were sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for its unmodified opinion.

Labella wrote on Facebook:

“I am very happy that we were able to receive this unmodified opinion from COA in our first term of office as mayor. And this happened while we were in the thick of the COVID pandemic last year,” he said.

City Administrator Floro Casas, Jr. said the COA report is a vindication for the city – what with the negative comments and opinion hurled against the current administration.

It can be remembered that critics have questioned the city’s expenses in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, including alleged overpriced purchases on canned food products, rice, among others.

“Nakita gyud sa COA nga wala mi binuang nga gihimo. Hinuon, nakasabot ra mi sa ilaha (critics) kay wala man sad silay lingaw ato nga time kay pandemic man to,” Casas said.

“The city is in good hands. Kaning COA nga unmodified report, kung pwede lang – pero di man pwede – isagpa sa katong mga nagsige’g bira namo,” Casas said.

COA also commended the city's accounting office for its timely submission of the city’s financial statement last February 11, 2021.

“We know that there was a pandemic last year… grabe gyud among paningkamot, as far as the city accounting is concerned, and we operated only at 25 percent manpower… so ang among gibuhat with Ma’am Agnes Tabares (of the City Accounting department) here with the finance control division, we had to do overtime gyud para timely ang submission,” said City Accountant Jerome Ornopia.

Despite disruptions from the COVID-19 outbreak last year, the city reported an increase in its assets and liabilities, both in income and expenses; and in its appropriation, allotment, and actual obligations.

COA also highlighted in its report that the city accomplished 16 infrastructure projects with 13 ongoing projects amounting to P242,287,497.67.

These projects include roads and drainage improvements in different barangays, construction and improvement of multipurpose buildings, evacuation centers, school buildings, hospital and dormitory, and installation of digital traffic system, among others.

COA’s yearly audit aims to ensure that government offices assure its transparency and accountability in governance in accordance with the International Standards of Supreme Audit Institutions (ISSAI), authoritative international standards on the public sector.

The city’s treasurer, Mare Vae Reyes, attributed the “success” to open communication among department heads.

“Effort gyud sa tanang department sa Cebu government… Dili ra gyud lisod ang pakig-coordinate sa ubang departments kay kun duna mi pangutana about sa mga nagasto, motubag ra man pud sila,” Reyes said.

City Budget Officer Marietta Gumia City said the different departments at City Hall submitted complete documents, which was why the process of submitting requirements to COA was smooth. - Sanden Anadia, JMO (FREEMAN)