Irrigation funds already accounted for, says Agusan Del Sur gov’t

The provincial government of Agusan Del Sur has already submitted liquidation reports for the more than P56 million in irrigation funds that the Commission on Audit said remained unaccounted for despite the projects' completion in 2008, an official has said.

Agusan del Sur provincial accountant Joy Dy Lagat told GMA News Online on Thursday that the funds from the irrigation projects under the Mindanao Sustainable Settlement Area Development (MINSSAD) in 2007 and 2009 have been "fully accounted."

Liquidation reports, she said, have been submitted to the concerned agencies, including the National Irrigation Administration.

Lagat gave a copy of a letter indicating the NIA's receipt of the liquidation reports from the province as early 2010.

"The downloaded funds were fully accounted and the disbursements were reported based on the Statement of Receipts and Disbursements submitted to the NIA as liquidation reports of the fund," Lagat said.

"All projects were already completed, turned-over and accepted by the end-users as evidenced by certificate of project turn-over over and acceptance duly signed by proper officials," she added.

However, the letter signed on August 26, 2010 by NIA Regional Manager Democratico P. Grana Jr. indicated that only P53,339,087.11 was accounted for in the Statement of Expenditures for Civil Works Loan Proceeds for MINSSAD submitted by the province for the period of January to December 2009.

"The unliquidated amount as of this date is now only Php 2,866,851.57 based from the total amount you have received from this office," Grana wrote.

Lagat explained to GMA News Online that the "total amount of P56 million was already disbursed" by the time Grana gave the report.

"But since the NIA record shows an unliquidated balance of P2.866 million then we will submit again the report of disbursements to liquidate the said amount," Lagat said.

"We have already prepared the liquidation report. It's in the office of COA as it requires the signature of our agency auditor," he added.

COA indicated in a 2014 audit report that the province of Agusan del Sur failed to liquidate the funds due to unresolved and undisclosed local issues.

"The details of the issues between the parties, however, were not disclosed.... In effect, fund transferred to the Province of Agusan del Sur booked under Due from LGU account remained unliquidated despite completion of the MINSSAD project in CY 2008," the COA report read.

NIA management then replied that its various demands to the province of Agusan del Sur had yet to be answered.

The MINSSAD was a project for Mindanao by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) and was implemented under the Department of Agrarian Reform.

Various local government units in the CARAGA region were responsible for the implementation of the project in partnership with NIA.  —Rie Takumi/NB, GMA News