Legarda wants COA to conduct a performance audit of gov’t projects

Senator Loren Legarda wants the Commission on Audit (COA) to conduct a performance audit of government projects, and not just “count the mangroves planted” in its usual audit reports.

“I’ve been wanting not just the usual audit, but a performance audit..not just the number of mangroves planted.” she said during the Senate hearing on COA’s budget for 2019.

“How does it impact them? On the environment? Against (a) storm surge? How does it (a project) generate more fish species in that region, yung ganoon?” she asked.

Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, said COA can also release a performance audit on the government’s Pantawid Pamilya Pilipino Program (4Ps).

“[You can do a] performance audit of the 4Ps, for example. Have the poor become lazy? Or have we empowered the poor?” she also said.

“‘Yan ang gusto kong makita sa COA, hindi puro allowance. Maliban doon, gusto namin makita din ‘yun (That’s what I want to see in COA, not just allowances. Except that, we also want to see this),” the senator said in jest.

Legarda also suggested that COA put up an institute that will train its new recruits and other government agencies.

She noted that around 500 retirees with “brilliant minds, experience, and wisdom” from COA can train its new members through that institute.

“Why don’t you come up with a seminar, workshop, with a curriculum, and it can be an institute of COA trainees, something like that. We can fund it,” she said.

“Create an institute, institute of… COA institute. ‘Yan na lang (you can choose this name), find a better name,” she said jokingly.  /muf