From Rappler

By Lia Atienza

On Wednesday, December 3, the Commission on Audit (COA) reported the Department of Public Works and Highways’ (DPWH) inefficient implementation of nationwide projects worth P138 billion in 2024. 

In their audit report, the COA listed the number of projects affected by the inadequate planning, engineering, and monitoring by DPWH, including: 

• 1,435 incomplete projects worth P77.4 billion; 
• 523 suspended projects worth P33.6 billion;
• 33 terminated projects worth P1.29 billion;
• 114 unimplemented projects worth P6.72 billion; and
• 491 projects with negative slippages of 10 percent and above worth P19.2 billion.

The report also states that additional DPWH resources have been reallocated to manage these delays, diverting these materials from other important initiatives.

The commission noted the implications of this report on the nation’s public welfare and overall government efficiency, saying, “Communities are unable to benefit from essential services, and the government faces financial inefficiencies and potential cost overruns.”

State auditors are encouraging the department to address these inefficiencies by ensuring proper communication, supervision, and accountability to prevent further delays in current and future initiatives.

“Overall, improving the speed and efficiency of project delivery is important to meet the goals of economic development and enhanced public services,” the COA said.

DPWH has been under investigation for being at the center of the flood control projects controversies in the country, with department officials and involved lawmakers caught in alleged corruption cases for these “ghost” projects.

Last September 1, the COA filed charges and finalized fraud audits against DPWH officials and government contractors involved in the controversy.