Capitol moves to activate idle infra flagged by COA

The Cebu Provincial Government has begun utilizing infrastructure projects flagged by the Commission on Audit (COA) for prolonged non-use, Provincial Administrator Ace Durano said.

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Durano said the provincial government remains committed to ensuring that public infrastructure serves its intended beneficiaries, following COA findings that several completed projects worth more than P50 million remained idle for years.

He said the province is now focused on either putting these facilities to immediate use or transferring them, through proper legal processes, to agencies capable of operating them.

COA identified three idle provincial projects: the Cebu Provincial Skills Training Center in Inayagan, City of Naga; the Bahay Pag-asa for Children in Conflict with the Law (CICL) in Inayagan, City of Naga; and the Cebu Provincial Dormitory at the Capitol Site in Cebu City.

According to COA, the prolonged non-use of these facilities undermines the intent of Presidential Decree 1445 and DILG-DBM Joint Memorandum Circular No. 2017-1, which mandate the efficient utilization of government resources and the effective use of the 20-percent development fund.

State auditors warned that leaving the buildings idle “defeats the purpose of their construction” and deprives the public of essential services meant to promote socioeconomic development.

Durano cited the Provincial Skills Training Center in Inayagan as an example of how idle infrastructure is now being repurposed to address urgent public needs.

He said that after the earthquake that struck Cebu on September 30, it was recommended that Inayagan National High School stop using its old school buildings due to safety concerns.