Barred from personally visiting public parks last year, over 250,000 Filipinos still got a taste of the pleasures of promenading Rizal and Paco parks by gluing themselves to their computers and other gadgets last year.
The Commission on Audit (COA) has disclosed that the National Parks Development Committee still managed to entertain 255,245 people by conducting 48 online events and 25 hybrid of online and physical activities with “average satisfactory rating of 98.75” in 2020.
In its 2020 annual audit report for the NPDC, COA said the NPDC had resorted to on-line activities to make up for the significant drop in visitors due to the closure of the parks from March 12 to June 30 that covered the strict lockdown imposed by government to try to avert the spread of the 2019 coronavirus disease.
Over the years, Rizal, also known as Luneta, and Paco Parks promenaders have steadily increased even as the NPDC offered cultural, arts and other events programs to entertain visitors.
However, COA lamented that the pandemic has prevented the NPDC from successfully implementing six out of nine target activities last year.
“Only three of NPDC’s nine targeted activities under the two organizational outcomes had been 100 percent accomplished, while accomplishments in six activities have significantly decreased due to the closure of the parks and the cancellation of regular shows of the park brought about by the COVID 19 pandemic,” the audit agency reported in a letter to NPDC Executive Director Cecille Romero.
"We recommended that Management continuously monitor the accomplishment of planned activities taking into consideraiton the provisions of appropriate strategies to attain delivery of targeted outputs for the benefit of its clienteles despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic," the state audit agency said.
In the same audit report. COA flagged transactions involving over P70 million in disbursements for the year.
“Paid disbursement vouchers amounting to P23,996,871.60 were not supported with Official Receipts (ORs) acknowledging the receipt of payment and/or the ‘received by’ portion of the payroll/disbursement voucher were not signed byu the payees signifying acknowledgement of the payment...” COA said.
Among those pointed to as recipient of payments were contractor, suppliers and performing artists, it was learned.
“Due to the Management’s failure to secure evidence of receipt of payment for disbursements from the consultants/specialists, contractors, suppliers, artists and NPDC retired or resigned employees, disbursements of funds could not be properly accounted,” the audit report stated.
The same audit report also chided the NPDC for “not faithfully” adhering to the provisions of Republic Act No. 9184 or the Government Procurement Act and its Revised ImplementingRules and Regulations.
Auditors pointed out that procurement activities covering four infrastructure projects were awarded beyond the allowable time while completion date of two infrasctructure projects with work extension and one project with changes in the scope of work were not “adequately supported with documents”.
These issues, audit examiners stressed, cast “doubts ont he integrity of the procurement process and reasonableness of the awarded contracts “amounting to P46,518,266.95.
Documents required by the COA were submitted by the NPDC management but auditors said these will still be subjected to verification and technical review.