Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Romando Artes on Tuesday acknowledged the delay in the implementation of flood management projects flagged by the Commission on Audit (COA).
The COA scored the MMDA for failure to fully implement 33 out of its 47 projects and programs amounting to P825.318 million as of Dec. 31, 2022.
The state auditors cited delays in documentary requirements and procurement activities and poor strategies in the monitoring and implementation of the projects and programs.
According to Artes, the projects under the Metro Manila Flood Management Project (MMFMP) Phase 1 which were not yet fully implemented as of December 2022 were funded by the World Bank (WB) and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).
He noted that since the projects were foreign-assisted, the procurement process was different from the usual early procurement process under Republic Act 9184.
“The projects underwent a tedious process and discussions with the World Bank before they were approved and implemented,” Artes said.
“The WB reviews the bidding process done by the MMDA. Sometimes, they recommend continuation of the project rejected by our agency which in turn results in contract cost and duration revision,” he added.
As for the site relocation or project re-design, Artes said it was approved by the World Bank. “It is the World Bank that recommends and decides whether a contract shall be extended and coverage widened.”
The MMDA chief said the period of project implementation being questioned was within 2018-2022, years when pandemic hit the country while some projects were covered by the election ban which both contributed to the delay of its implementation.
Artes gave assurance that the MMFMP – Project Management Office is now closely monitoring all the project deliverables to ensure that they were implemented within the given timeframe.
Out of the 47 projects mentioned in the COA report, 27 were completed as of this time, 12 are ongoing and will be completed this year, three are ongoing procurement process, and five were already abandoned as they are no longer necessary or relevant, Artes said.
Further, the MMDA chief said the World Bank has given MMDA a satisfactory rating for the said project and have recommended to extend it for two more years.
Meanwhile, Artes also clarified that the 71 vehicles mentioned by the COA as unregistered in its 2022 report were all grounded and beyond repair.
Artes said that the cited vehicles were without registration from the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and set for disposal as junks.
“The disposal process is long and we are currently disassembling its parts so we can use it for our serviceable vehicles,” Artes explained, emphasizing that the agency is promoting roadworthiness among its fleet.
“We, at the MMDA, regularly conduct quarterly LTO caravan to ensure timely registration of our vehicles,” he said.
Last February 6 and 15, the LTO held a two-day registration caravan upon MMDA’s request.
Artes also said the 216 vehicles that the COA revealed to be beyond its useful lifespan of seven years for government service vehicles are still functional and are maintained properly.
The MMDA chief said the service vehicles he and other agency officials were using were all “almost at the end of their useful life but have no intention of retiring and replacing them and will continue to be used because they are in very good running condition.”
