City Hall fails to implement LDF projects

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City government has failed to implement about P1 billion worth of projects under the Local Development Fund since 2009.

The amount is broken down into P420.1 million (2014), P150.9 million (2013), P187.95 (2012), P73.7 million (2011), P10.1 million (2010), and P36.5 million (2009).

Based on the records obtained by The Freeman, numerous infrastructure projects and social, economic and environmental plans remain unimplemented until now. The city planning office could not explain why these projects were not implemented and where did the LDF funds go. 

Councilor Margarita Osmeña, chairperson of the committee on budget and finance, said that of the P547.52-million earmarked for LDF this year only P127.4 million was utilized.

Osmeña enumerated the 2014 projects, such as lot acquisition for the resettlement site of informal settlers of Barangay Bacayan (P21.8 million); completion of the center for local governance building (P13.5 million); construction of a two-storey City Hall Network Office Building at City Hall sa Bukid (P16.6 million); acquisition of dumpsite at Quiot-Toong boundary (P11.2 million); road concreting for Eco-Tourism Park Development at different upland barangays (P10.5 million); construction of evacuation center in Budlaan (P10 million), among others.

Osmeña said the problem is that the city could not implement all the pending projects for lack of funds. She said that the remaining LDF this year is only P187 million.

Osmeña explained that the problem was created because the city has earmarked more than 20 percent of its Internal Revenue Allotment share, which is only P300 million. The city’s IRA is P1.5 billion.

The joint memorandum circular of the Department of Budget and Management and the Department of Interior and Local Government stipulates that LDF is 20 percent of the IRA, which can be used for social development projects such as the construction or rehabilitation of health centers, evacuation centers, cultural sites, and other facilities.

LDF can also be used for economic development projects such as the construction of local roads and communal irrigation. Likewise, it can be appropriated for the environmental management projects, such as reforestation, urban greening, and purchase of garbage trucks.

Engineer Oscar Abordo, City Planning and Development Office assistant department head, said the projects could be subsidized under the 2014 General Fund Proper.

But Osmeña said it could not be possible because the city can only use P97.9 million of the P648.6-million General Fund considering that some of the accounts are in a time deposit, trust fund and set aside for the special accounts.  (FREEMAN)