"Defects" in infrastructure projects done by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) cost the government more than P369.1 million in 2022, the Commission on Audit (COA) said. In its audit report, COA said it examined 653 infrastructure projects of DPWH and found defects in the implementation. It said the defects were "due to lack of proper monitoring and supervision," and ran counter to the DPWH's mission to provide and manage quality infrastructure facilities and services responsive to the needs of the Filipino people. It noted that the 653 projects funded at more than P20.7 billion showed “several defects, deficiencies, or items of works that were not executed/delivered in accordance with the terms or specifications of the contracts." It cited the 34 asphalt projects funded at P953.7 million and implemented by Lanao del Norte 1st District Engineering Office (DEO) in DPWH Region X from 2019 to 2022.  The projects showed various cracks, potholes, and depressions even though these had already undergone a series of asphalt rehabilitations, it said. "The number of repairs of defects in the same road network/project was caused by overloading of vehicles, presence of water in the underlying soil structure from floods, poor drainage, underground erosion or cracks in the road surface, and the expansion and contraction from seasonal temperature changes," the COA said. It also cited the road projects done by the DPWH Regional Office V and Sorsogon 1st DEO along Daang Maharlika from 2019 to 2021. It said the roads have several cracks, potholes, raveling, and uneven pavement, while the widened bridges have lateral cracks, potholes and noticeable gaps between the old and new structures. "The possible causes noted for the occurence/re-occurence of the afore-cited defects on both the roads and bridges include poor weather condition, heavy volume of traffic such as overloaded trucks passing through the area, poor/weaker quality of construction materials, and inadequate design and workmanship," the COA noted. It warned that the defects might compromise the safety of public, cause further destruction on the infrastructures, and ultimately result in the wastage of government funds and resources if not immediately rectified. It asked the DPWH to require their contractors to immediately repair the defects and deficiencies and deliver the required item of works necessary in the implementation of infrastructure projects to conform with the terms and specifications provided for in the contracts. If not, the COA said that the DPWH should forfeit the performance securities of the defaulting contractors and blacklist them, it said. It also recommended that DPWH inspectorate teams should conduct regular and periodic monitoring of all projects to ensure that these are being implemented in accordance with the approved program of works of the contracts.