City officials requested the City Environment and Parks Management Office (CEPMO) to submit to the city council a report on actions taken relative to the audit observations and recommendations on the memorandum of agreement (MOA) between the local government and the Baguio Lion’s Club.
Under Resolution No. 196, series of 2023, the Committee on Laws, Human Rights and Justice, in its 5th endorsement dated March 14, 2023, recommended to note certain management observations and recommendations to be attended to relative to the MOA.
However, taking note of subsequent annual reports on the matter, particularly for the years 2020 and 2021, the body pointed out the need to clear the city council actions on the matters which were dependent on the implementation or action taken by the executive on the observations or recommendations.
The body claimed that in fact, it may not even be proper to expect the body to act on a contract or memorandum of agreement (MOA) that was not presented to it or on one that it has not confirmed or authorized.
For the said purpose, the committee recommended that the CEPMO be requested to submit a report to the council on action taken relative to the audit observations and recommendations on the MOA the city government entered into with the Baguio City Lions Club.
Earlier, in her letter dated June 30, 2020, Atty. Eden D. Tingson-Rafanan, regional director of the Cordillera office of the Commission on Audit (COA-CAR), transmitted the annual audit report on the city government for 2019 with various findings and recommendations.
Among the findings and recommendations include the validity and accuracy of adjustments made in the amount of P148,067,240.00 to the Land Bank account under the PPE cannot be established due to non-submission of relevant supporting documents thereby precluding complete validation, verification of the pertinent accounts contrary to the provisions of COA Circular No. 2010-001; the completion of the project ‘reforestation/urban greening project, access road opening and construction at Botanical Garden otherwise known as establishment of Baguio City arboretum phase 2’ with a contract cost of P12,292,367.92 is delayed with the contractor incurring a significant negative slippage of 48.82 percent as of December 31, 2019 depriving the constituents of the timely use of the facility; out of 534 remaining local development projects from 2008-2019, only 12.36 percent or 66 projects were reported as completed as of December 31, 2019 while the rest remain unimplemented defeating the purpose for which the fund was created as prescribed under the DILG and DBM Joint Memorandum circular (JMC) No. 2017-1 dated February 22, 2017; the programs, projects and activities indicated in the city’s report on the utilization of local risk reduction and management fund programs, plans and activities, disclosed 64 activities of which 24 activities or 37.50 percent was fully implemented at year end for various reasons, thus, the goals and objectives of the LDRRMP were not fully attained; collection of market stall rentals was not efficient resulting to delinquency of payments ranging from 3 months to 17 years totaling P966,613.00 contrary to the provisions of City Tax Ordinance No. 2000-001 and final and executory audit disallowances and audit charges amounting to P522,792.81 and P3,479,925.30, respectively, remained unsettled as of December 31, 2019 contrary to the provisions of COA Circular No. 2009-006 dated September 15, 2009.
