COA scores PSB delay in delivery of books

CEBU, Philippines- The Commission on Audit has reprimanded the Cebu Provincial School Board because of its failure to deliver close to P5 million worth of instructional materials to schoolchildren last year.

COA auditors recommended that books and other instructional materials should be delivered timely to allow its maximum use.

“The Cebu PSB take appropriate action on those undelivered books and henceforth make timely delivery of books and other instructional materials to insure timely and maximum use thereof,” COA said in its report of the Capitol’s financial operations last year.

According to COA, the PSB procured books worth P4,948,950.30 in May last year for pre-school and grades one to three. The procurement was made because it was allegedly needed for that school year.

However, COA found out that the delivery was only made in October creating doubts as to the real need of these books.

COA said that as of December 31, only 2,032 books out of 7,707 were delivered to the schools in Santa Fe, Bantayan, and Madridejos towns.

“These long delays in delivery to beneficiary schools have created doubt as to the real need of these books,” said COA.

The audit body said the distribution of the books should have been done at the start of the school year “to serve the purpose for which these are procured.”

Also, it said PSB should have monitored if these school materials were delivered on time to maximize the use of public funds.

COA also noted that the province allocated P14.9 million but “only” P4.9 million of this was used and “only” materials for English and reading comprehension.

“With the shortage of textbooks procured in the public schools, we are of the opinion that the expenditure for the kind of books procured...were just excessive,” it said, adding that the PSB and the Department of Education should have used the funds to get more books for the students.

“We recommend that the Cebu PSB in coordination with DepEd School Divisions plan carefully the books to be procured to maximize SEF utilization for the benefit of the intended beneficiaries and to ensure efficient and effective planning/budgeting and utilization of the subject fund,” COA said.

At the exit conference with state auditors, the Capitol admitted that the delay was caused by the unavailability of vehicles, but the Provincial General Services Office assured that the distribution was already ongoing.  (FREEMAN)