COA flags TESDA's 2021 fund releases for lack of documents

The Commission on Audit (COA) has flagged the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) for its release of P6.96 million in training expenses for lack of supporting documents.

In its 2021 annual audit report on TESDA, state auditors said that of the P6.9 million, P6.7 million in training expenses were released to Regions 4A, 8, 9, Caraga, 9 and 10.

COA said only the Notice of Transfer Allocation, Obligation Request Status, Disbursement Vouchers and Sub Allotment Release Order were submitted for the fund release.

Likewise, the remaining P264,971 labelled for "training expenses, other supplies and material expenses, rent and motor vehicles" were used "to cover expenses of the visit of then TESDA chief Isidro Lapena  for the joint NTF-ELCAC (National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict) and RTF-ELCAC meeting with then President Rodrigo Duterte last March 5, 2021."

"Scrutiny of the documents attached to the fund transfers showed that the disbursements made by TESDA were related to 'hosting' of meetings of NTF­ ELCAC instead of provision of training to the target beneficiaries. It also includes Security/RPG honorarium and hotel  accommodation wherein recipients were not indicated, hence, are all questionable," state auditors said.

"Furthermore, as shown in the table, the expense classifications of the fund transfers were mostly charged to training expenses, hence, it is imperative that the fund should have been used for training, and not for representation or expenses for hosting of meetings," COA added.

COA recommended that TESDA stop engaging in activities not in line with its mandate and without specific directive and funding to avoid confusion and derailment in the implementation of its mandated programs and projects.

In response, TESDA maintained that the fund transfers received were intended for the operating expenses and support to the implementation of NTF-ELCAC.

Insurgency in the metro?

During Monday's plenary deliberations on TESDA's proposed P13.7 billion budget for 2023, House Deputy Minority Leader France Castro also questioned TESDA's P2.6 million expenses in 2021 for a project in Metro Manila recommended by NTF-ELCAC.

Castro was referring to the project dubbed "Poverty Reduction Livelihood and Employment Cluster (PRLEC)-Urban Community Agriculture Project Urban Garden: Vegetable Production and Concoction/Extract Preparation."

"These have 510 enrollees from Navotas, Manila, Paranaque, Marikina, Pasay and Quezon City. How were these barangays chosen? Is there an ongoing insurgency in Metro Manila kaya may ganitong mga proyekto?," Castro said.

"Nakakatawa naman ang pagpili (This is laughable). How is this program implemented? For how many days were they made to undergo training? Who were the mentors? Were these people the so-called surrenderees (former rebels who abandoned armed struggle and surrendered to the government)?" she added.

Castro's criticisms of the vagueness of the outcome of the P2.6 million TESDA funding for the project as part of the anti-insurgency task force's program in Metro Manila was shared by the same 2021 annual audit report on TESDA.

"The Audit Teams requested from  the Scholarship Focal Person of  TESDA Circulars or Memorandum guidelines for the implementation of scholarship programs under the NTF-ELCAC , however, no documents were provided," COA said.

"It can be clearly observed that the afore-cited subsidies have been released with no clear-cut objectives and guidelines as to coverage, availment of scholarship, target beneficiaries, scholarship benefit, implementation arrangements and mechanics, administrative and financial procedures and the like," COA added.

In response to Castro's points and the COA findings, Makati Representative Luis Campos said that TESDA was merely acting on NTF-ELCAC's recommendations.

"It is the NTF-ELCAC which picked the beneficiaries. Tinatanggap lamang po ng TESDA ang listahan [galing sa NTF-ELCAC)," Campos, who was the sponsor of TESDA's budget in plenary, said.

Castro, however, was not satisfied.

"Where is the performance audit for this and what was the result of their training? Sino itong mga tau-tauhan ng NTF-ELCAC sa TESDA?," Castro said.

Campos answered by committing that TESDA will submit the necessary report to Castro by Friday this week.

GMA News Online reached out to TESDA for its comment but the agency has yet to respond as of posting time.—LDF, GMA News