NGOs told to submit report

STATE auditors asked the Lapu-Lapu City Government to request non-government organizations (NGOs) that received financial assistance from the City to submit liquidation reports.

In its 2011 report, the Commission on Audit (COA) said some P9.1 million in cash assistance the City gave to NGOs have yet to be liquidated as of Dec. 31, 2011. Some of these NGOs received the funds in 2008.

The City, in an exit conference with COA, promised to comply with COA’s recommendation.

Report

Under a 2007 COA circular, an NGO should submit a fund utilization report within 60 days after completing a project for which it received cash aid from the government.

State auditors asked the City not to give cash assistance to NGOs that have yet to settle the previous assistance they received.

The COA also advised the City to stop granting financial assistance to NGOs if these have not complied with the documentary requirements.

According to the audit report, the City granted P1.4 million to four NGOs even though these failed to submit all the required documents.

The COA asked the City to request the NGOs to submit the lacking documents, so the funds given to them will not be disallowed.

The documents an NGO should submit when applying for financial assistance include the registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission and a project proposal.

Of COA’s 26 recommendations last year, the City fully implemented 13, including the inclusion of a Gender and Development program in its annual budget. The City partially implemented the rest.

Contribution

The COA commended the City for implementing infrastructure projects “that greatly contributed to the economic development of the City.”

The audit report also noted the successful staging of the Kadaugan sa Mactan, which drew thousands of local and foreign tourists.

Though it noted the “costly” steel bleachers, the COA said the City’s hosting of the Asian Davis Cup Tournament last year was “a show of sustainable development and wealth of culture.”