Palace: Philippine Ports Authority’s P6.5-M infinity pool legal, useful

Malacañang on Monday defended the Philippine Ports Authority’s purchase of an infinity pool, earlier flagged by the Commission on Audit (COA), saying this was legally acquired and was a useful purchase.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said that PPA General Manager Joseph Santiago informed him that the infinity pool purchase was in accordance with the PPA charter since it was a facility in which PPA personnel can train for emergencies.

Likewise, Roque said the infinity pool was functional.

“The infinity pool is not an extravagant purchase. It is merely an engineering infrastructural design element,” Roque claimed.

“There are studies which show that the continuous flow [of water] in an infinity pool is better than a conventional pool,” he added.

In its 2020 audit report, the COA said that the construction of the PPA's infinity pool in its La Union training center compound (TCC) was “unnecessary.”

Furthermore, the total cost of the construction was P10.84 million, as it not only involved the pool itself, but also involved the construction of a P3.43-million guest room, P400,432.15 pergola, and a P419,912.75 decorative rock wall.

The COA pointed out that the infinity pool, pergola, and rock wall were “more appropriate for tourism and recreational purposes, hence, are clearly not under the clout of the PPA,” while the additional room was “not necessary” since there were enough rooms.

While the PPA argued that the project was undertaken to avoid incurring higher costs of conducting meetings, training sessions, and conferences at expensive hotels, the COA countered that if the PPA’s justifications were to be accepted, “then all government agencies, especially corporations, would be allowed to put up facilities and amenities as long as their budget permits, even if the uses or purposes of said projects are not within their mandates. — DVM, GMA News