DSWD: Bulk of unaccounted DAP funds in COA report already liquidated

By ANDREO CALONZO, GMA News

Published December 26, 2014 1:04pm

(Updated 5:23 p.m.) Most of the P1.8 billion from the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) allocated to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) that were reported unaccounted for by the Commission on Audit (COA) had already been liquidated, Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman said Friday.

At a press briefing, Soliman said the P1.31 billion transferred by the DSWD to the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) used for cash-for-training programs had already been accounted for.

The Cabinet official, however, admitted that some P400 million of DAP funds that went to TESDA, and another P500 million transferred to the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) for student grants remain unliquidated.

Soliman said the CHED is taking a long time to liquidate the funds, because it is waiting for state colleges and universities to account for the student grants.

“Ang sabi ng CHED sa amin, nagkokonsolida pa sila ng report. Nationwide din po kasi itong student grants program,” she explained.

Last July, certain acts under the DAP, the administration’s economic stimulus program, were declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

DAP to ARMM

Aside from amounts stated in the COA report, Soliman also revealed that over P1.8 billion in DAP funds were allocated to the DSWD office in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

“Ito po ay for shelters sa conflicted-affected [areas], daycare centers, at ito rin po ay para sa livelihood,” she said.

She added that of this amount, P1.4 billion has already been disbursed and liquidated.

The remaining P407 million is still with the DSWD head office because of the high court ruling on the DAP, the Cabinet official explained.

“Naka-hold iyon dahil hindi kami pwede mag-disburse after the Supreme Court ruling,” Soliman said.

She added that the unused allocations will be turned over national treasury before yearend. — RSJ, GMA News

Tags: dswd, dinkysoliman, disbursementaccelerationprogram, bantaykaban