COA: Gov't lost P6.4 B from defective DPWH projects in 2024

The government lost P6.4 billion last year due to defective infrastructure projects implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the latest report of the Commission on Audit (COA) showed.

- By ELIZABETH MARCELO

In its 2024 annual audit report on the agency, the COA said 747 infrastructure projects implemented nationwide by various DPWH regional offices were found to be technically defective, unusable or were left idle due to the agency's failure to ensure that the contractors were compliant with the terms of the contracts.

The COA said the defects and deficiencies noted by the audit team upon project inspections and validations were equivalent to at least P6.459 billion.

"Moreover, several deficiencies were noted in the implementation of various infrastructure projects, which resulted in the projects being unusable or idle, thus depriving the public of the benefits that can be derived therefrom," it added.

The audit breakdown showed that DPWH Region 6 (Western Visayas) was responsible for the bulk of the defective or deficient projects equivalent to P3.458 billion.