The Commission on Audit has cited the Davao Occidental provincial government for various outstanding achievements under Gov. Claude P. Bautista.

Rarely given to national and local government agencies, the CoA commendations were contained in the 2019 annual audit report for the province released recently.

The State audit agency lauded Bautista for his leadership of the province in the “successful implementation” of the 2018 Revenue Generation Program of the Bureau of Local Government Finance under the Department of Finance.

With Bautista at the helm of the provincial government, Davao Occidental was also awarded last year the Malaria-Free Status and the much-coveted 2019 Good Financial Housekeeping award.

CoA also cited provincial treasurer Cecille Gretchen M. Nawal for various outstanding accomplishments in surpassing targets on real property taxes, total revenues in all four revenue sources, fees and charges, and economic enterprise.

“We conducted the audit in accordance with International Standards of Supreme Audit Institutions and we believe that it provides a reasonable basis for our opinion,” CoA Director Roy Ursal said in a letter to Bautista.

The 2019 audit report also contained various favorable audit observations that include the prompt submission of financial reports and accounts and efficiency in the handling of cash in bank accounts.

Unlike many national and local government agencies, Davao Occidental has “zero” unliquidated payroll cash advances. All cash advances to officials and employees and to disbursing officers and special disbursing officers were all justified and fully accounted for by the end of 2019.

CoA Director Roy Ursal noted that there were also “significant observations” made by auditors in connection with utilization of the 20 percent development fund and urged the provincial government to implement the audit recommendations.

“As a result of the demand letters sent by the Offices of Provincial Accountant and the Audit Team Leader, the beginning balance of P70,812,000 was reduced to P10,690,000 or 84.90 percent decrease as at Dec. 31, 2019,” the audit report noted.

State auditors also revealed that inventories, together with property, plant, and equipment, were well reconciled.

CoA congratulated Bautista for the successful implementation of Gender and Development program of Davao Occidental.

In its review of the implementation of prior years’ recommendation, CoA disclosed that out of the 35 audit recommendations contained in the annual audit report for 2018, 2017, and 2016, 32 or 91.43 percent were fully implemented while two or 5.71 percent were partially carried out.

Only one audit recommendation has yet to be implemented.