COA: Naga City disaster response programs misaligned, inconsistent

MANILA, Philippines — A majority of the 45 programs under the six-year local disaster risk reduction and management plan of Naga City in Camarines Sur “did not support” the LDRRM’s purpose, the Commission on Audit reported.

The COA, in a letter to Mayor Leni Robredo, said 32 of the programs “have no corresponding provisions in the LDRRM plan.”

“The majority of planned PPAs (programs, projects and activities) do not support the local government unit’s disaster risk reduction objectives, inconsistent with Item 6.2 of Joint Memorandum Circular 2013-1,” the COA said.

“Thirty-two PPAs totaling P47,361,489 have no corresponding provisions in the LDRRM plan and six PPAs with appropriations of P15.7 million are misaligned,” the report said.

According to the COA, only seven of the 45 PPAs are aligned with the LDRRM plan for 2023-2028.

“Certain PPAs classified under disaster preparedness in the annual investment program or AIP were categorized under disaster prevention and mitigation in the LDRRM plan,” the COA said

It added that the projects and activities to be charged against the LDRRM fund should be incorporated in the plan and integrated into the approved AIP.

The COA said the Naga City government “acknowledges the inconsistencies in the alignment of the PPAs with the LDRRM plan” and pledged to “ensure all PPAs are aligned prior to the inclusion in the AIP.”

Naga City also pledged to “amend and update the LDRRM plan to incorporate emerging risks and previously omitted but necessary programs and projects.”