MANILA, Philippines — State auditors have cautioned the Department of Agriculture (DA) over the delayed implementation of rural infrastructure projects being funded by over P2 billion worth of official development assistance (ODA) or foreign aid.
“The 67 ODA-funded I-Build and I-Reap subprojects amounting to [P2.178 billion] are already beyond the target date of completion, thereby delaying the delivery of benefits to the intended recipients,” the Commission on Audit (COA) said in its 2020 report on the DA.
The projects are under the DA’s Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP), which seeks to establish the government platform for a modern, climate-smart, and market-oriented agri-fisheries sector.
On the one hand, the I-Build component refers to strategic rural infrastructure like farm-to-market roads, bridges, communal irrigation system and portable water system, among others. On the other hand, the I-Reap component includes joint business planning and investments, promotion of biodiversity conservation and coastal resource co-management arrangements.
Local governments participating in the subprojects are in charge of carrying these out with “due diligence and efficiency” and monitoring and evaluating progress.
Based on the 2020 audit report, at the end of last year, the PRDP had approved 1,101 subprojects worth P30.693 billion. Of these, 731 have been completed, 213 are ongoing while 58 are under procurement.
“However, 15 and 18 proponent local governments reported a total of 21 and 46 subprojects amounting to P1,875,682,000 and P302.944 million for I-Build and I-Reap, respectively, which are already delayed, contrary to the provisions of pertinent laws, rules, and regulations,” the audit body said.
The Cordillera Administrative Region had the biggest chunk of delayed I-Build subprojects at P446.412 million, while for the I-Reap subprojects, it was Central Luzon with a total of P100.125 million.