DA subsidiary fails to finish P100M DAP-funded project

MANILA, Philippines–Around P100 million from the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) got bogged down in a Department of Agriculture subsidiary which has yet to finish any fish port project more than three years after getting the extra allocation from Malacañang.

The Commission on Audit (COA) criticized the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA) for its protracted implementation of DAP-funded municipal fish port projects in Guimbal in Iloilo, Kimaya in Misamis Oriental, Dap-Dap in Legaspi City, Uyugan in Batanes, and Capalonga in Camarines Norte and Calabanga in Camarines Sur.

The PFDA is headed by general manager Eduardo M. Chu, with Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala as board chair.

“Slow implementation of the DAP projects by the Authority resulted in unspent balance of P84.44 million out of the funds received from the Bureau of Treasury of P98 million contrary to DAP’s objective of fast-tracking public spending in order to push economic growth,” the COA said in an annual audit report of PFDA’s 2013 performance released last Friday.

The PFDA management revealed that one of the reasons for the delay in the project was the dispute on which agency should release the DAP funds.

For example, the PFDA management noted that implementation of the ice plant and cold storage facilities in Camarines Norte has remained “uncertain” as the Calabanga mayor preferred that the DAP funds come from the Department of Transportation and Communications while the legislator of the district wanted the DAP funds to come from the PFDA.

The COA noted that the P98 million released to PFDA was part of the P500 million DAP funds issued by Budget Secretary Florencio Abad in December 2011. The funds were transferred between 2012 and 2013 to PDFA as requested by six legislators for their respective congressional districts.

Fish ports and postharvest facilities were among the projects included by the Department of Budget and Management in the menu given to senators and representations from which they chose where to spend their DAP allocations on top of their annual Priority Development Assistance Fund  or pork barrel funds.