COA: Lack of supporting docs for 5 National Museum projects worth P332M

The Commission on Audit has questioned the validity of five infrastructure projects of the National Museum (NM) with a total cost of P332 million due to management's failure to submit supporting documents.

The National Museum management also failed to comply with COA Circular No. 2009-001 which mandates government agencies to submit documents within five days upon the execution of a contract, according to COA in its 2017 audit report.

"The validity of the contracts executed by the NM for the five infrastructure projects with an aggregate cost of P332,019,722.83 and the efficient/effective implementation thereof cannot be fully ascertained/established due to delay in submission of documentary requirements and absence of necessary information on the documents submitted," COA said.

The projects named in the audit are:

• the Bohol/Guiuan Heritage Site Restoration: Restoration of the Early 18th Century La Immaculada Concepcion Church (P112 million),
• the development of the National Museum Batanes Branch (P8.9 million),
• the rehabilitation of the National Museum Fine Arts Building (P63 million),
• the Tabon Cave Museum and Site Development in Palawan (P99 million), and
• the establishment of a museum in Dumaguete City (P49 million).

The COA said the required documents for each project include drawings and technical plans, contractor's profile and registration certificate, and a certification from the head of procuring entity stating the contract is compliant with existing law, rules and regulations.

However, COA said the NM Bids and Awards Committee submitted the documents to the audit team between six to 92 working days behind the five-working day requirement.

The commission further said management issued a notice to proceed to the successful bidder of the Batanes project earlier than the date of the contract signing, while the notice for the Bohol project was released beyond three calendar days as required by procurement rules.

The Tabon Cave Museum and the museum in Dumaguete City, meanwhile, had no dates when the notices to proceed were issued.

National Museum management said the dates of issuance on the notices to proceed were "honest errors," saying the stated dates were the dates of their preparation. It, however, said these are irrelevant since they still complied with the procurement law.

Management also confirmed that its BAC failed to comply with the five-day ruling, but said its personnel had already committed to comply in the period of document submission. — BM, GMA News