Capitol to barangays: Liquidate to get new cash assistance

CEBU, Philippines - The barangays that have not liquidated the previous financial assistance they received from the provincial government will not receive this year’s assistance to fund various infrastructure projects until liquidation is done.

Provincial Accountant Ramon Dumayac said the barangays need to liquidate first the assistance granted to them in previous years before they can claim the assistance for 2017.

Dumayac said only around 100 of 1,066 barangays in the province, as of January this year, have liquidated the Capitol assistance, but he has yet to check the total unliquidated funds from 2014 or 2015.

He noted that some of the reports were incomplete. It did not have official receipts to support the purchases, while other barangays submitted reports to other Capitol offices like the Provincial Planning and Development Office.

Dumayac said they are not imposing a deadline for the submission of liquidation reports, but warned barangays with pending liquidations to settle them immediately.

The Commission on Audit called the attention of Capitol officials last year because of accumulated unliquidated financial assistance to its accredited non-government organizations and private organizations.

The audit body questioned the release of P7.92 million aid in 2012 and 2013 to a NGO despite its unsettled balance in 2011 amounting to P340,833.

COA earlier said the accumulation of unliquidated fund transfers to local government units over the years shows laxity in the monitoring of said funds and enforcement of the required submission of Fund Utilization Reports from the proponents.

Just like NGOs and POs, COA requires local government units the full liquidation of funds from the provincial government.

Suspended ex-officio Provincial Board Member Celestino "Tining" Martinez III said he is aware of the issue and has been reminding barangay officials to fully liquidate the Capitol assistance so as not to hamper their future projects and services.

He said among the issues raised by barangay officials was the tedious liquidation process because of the additional requirements like the monthly fund utilization reports instead of the usual quarterly reports.

He said the Capitol is conducting consultation in some barangays to teach them how to liquidate funds, what documents to compile and the likes. (FREEMAN)