COA: Aid recipients dubious

CEBU, Philippines — Payments of cash for work incentives by the Philippine Coconut Authority in Region 7 were said to be questionable since the recipient farmer-beneficiaries in northern Cebu are allegedly dubious.

This is according to the 2016 report of the Commission on Audit (COA) on the implementation of Yolanda Recovery and Rehabilitation Program (YRRP) of the PCA with an allocation of P2.5 billion.

COA said the money has not been accounted for properly and safeguarded.

In June 2014, PCA-7 received 26,310 bags of ‘coco-gro’ fertilizers intended for municipalities in northern Cebu affected by typhoon Yolanda.

Of the 26,310 bags, 1,600 were distributed to different barangays in Medellin.

COA said inspection revealed that 300 of the 1,600 bags still remain undistributed. The bags of rice were reportedly piled and covered with tarpaulin at the basketball court of a barangay.

The problem is payment has been made.

“However, the corresponding payment for cash for work assistance for labor subsidy on the application of said 300 bags in the total amount of P130,450 have already been made, thus recipients of the incentives are suspicious beneficiaries,” the audit report reads.

COA said interview with the newly assigned coconut development officer (CDO) revealed that the undistributed bags of fertilizers were still under the accountability of the former CDO assigned in the area and that there was no turnover of accountabilities from the said CDO to the newly assigned CDO.

Following the report, COA directed the manager of PCA-7 to investigate to determine the causes of the irregularities in the payments of cash for work incentives, as well as distribution of fertilizers, and the personnel who participated in the irregularities.

The manager was also directed file appropriate charges if warranted.

PCA-7 explained to COA that as much as the regional and provincial offices would like to ensure a 100 percent monitoring of all their programs and project areas, the lack of personnel and the bulk of activities that they were dealing with every working day has, in a way, limited them to only conduct random monitoring of the areas they cover.

Among the major components of YRRP is the procurement of Multi-Nutrient Fertilizer (MNF). This provision of grant-in-kind fertilizers is for affected coconut farming families whose coconut trees were affected by the typhoon and in dire need of intervention to hasten its recovery.

The distribution of MNF (with brand name of ‘coco-gro’ fertilizers) for free comes with cash for work scheme as labor subsidy for the application of the said fertilizer to coconut trees affected by typhoon Yolanda.

The grant was P3,000 (P30x 100 trees) per hectare specifically intended to alleviate the immediate needs of the coconut farmers and their families while their farms are still recovering from the damage brought by typhoon. —/JMO (FREEMAN)