VILLAR TACKLES PROPOSED 2022 DAR BUDGET: Finance Subcommittee B chairperson Sen. Cynthia Villar presides over Wednesday, October 20, 2021 a virtual hearing on the proposed 2022 budget of the Department of Agrarian Reform amounting to P12.838 billion. Senate PRIB
MANILA, Philippines — Senators questioned the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) on Wednesday over unliquidated fund transfers to other government agencies and non-government organizations (NGOs) amounting to P1.63 billion.
Senator Imee Marcos raised the issue during the Senate committee on finance’s deliberations on the proposed budget of DAR for next year.
“Ang daming unliquidated dito and they were transferred to implementing agencies, NGOs, provincial offices. Carry-over ba ito ng mga dating taon or paano ba ito nangyari?” Marcos said.
DAR Undersecretary Lucius Malsi said that most of the P1.63 billion unliquidated fund transfers are carried over from previous years and not only in 2020.
“We keep on reminding our field offices and likewise other implementing agencies for them to liquidate forthright these unliquidated transfers,” Malsi said.
Nonetheless, Marcos pointed out that in 2020 alone, over P100 million worth of fund transfers made by DAR were also not liquidated.
“Most of them are foreign-assisted transfers from different implementing agencies,” Malsi responded.
Senator Cynthia Villar then chimed in, saying that DAR should submit a report on the unliquidated funds of the agrarian reform department and another report on its implementing agencies.
“Paghiwalayin mo. Ilagay mo kung alin ‘yung sa DAR at alin ‘yung sa ibang agency para naiintindihan namin. Sinasabi niya foreign assisted, may agencies other than DAR na may unliquidated,” Villar said.
(Separate them. Clarify what is for DAR and what is for other agencies so we can understand. He was saying foreign assisted, there are agencies other than DAR that have unliquidated.)
“Alin yung mga unliquidated ng DAR at unliquidated ng other agencies other than DAR. Wag mong sasabihing ‘yun ang reason,” she added.
(What are unliquidated by DAR and liquidated by other agencies other than DAR. Don’t tell us reasons.)
Malsi said they will submit the requested report of the Senate committee.